English uses words like north, south, east, and west to name cardinal directions. Left and right identify sides relative to a person's facing direction. Forward and backward describe movement in relation to where someone is looking. Up and down describe vertical direction. Across and through describe movement in relation to spaces or barriers.

Word/Phrase	Definition
north	North is the direction toward the top of most maps and is one of the four main compass directions.
south	South is the direction opposite north and is one of the four main compass directions.
east	East is the direction where the sun rises and is one of the four main compass directions.
west	West is the direction where the sun sets and is one of the four main compass directions.
left	Left is the side to a person's left when they are facing forward.
right	Right is the side to a person's right when they are facing forward.
forward	Forward means toward the front from a person's current position.
backward	Backward means toward the back from a person's current position.
up	Up means toward a higher position.
down	Down means toward a lower position.
across	Across means to the other side of something, such as a street or room.
through	Through means from one side to the other inside a space or passage.

English uses specific words for common locations in a community, such as street, road, and avenue. Building names like station, hospital, and school identify types of places people navigate to. Corner, intersection, and block describe parts of a street layout. Floor, entrance, and exit describe parts of a building related to movement.

Word/Phrase	Definition
street	A street is a public road in a town or city, often with buildings along it.
road	A road is a route for vehicles and people, often connecting places.
avenue	An avenue is a wide street, often with trees or a formal name.
station	A station is a building where trains or buses stop for passengers.
hospital	A hospital is a place where people go for medical care.
school	A school is a place where people go to learn.
corner	A corner is the point where two streets or edges meet.
intersection	An intersection is the place where two or more roads cross.
block	A block is the area between two streets in a city or town.
floor	A floor is a level in a building.
entrance	An entrance is a place where you go in.
exit	An exit is a place where you go out.

English uses prepositions to describe where something is in relation to something else. In, on, and at show location with different meanings for spaces and points. Next to and beside mean something is close and to the side. Between shows something in the middle of two things. Behind and in front of describe position relative to a reference point.

Word/Phrase	Definition
in	In means inside a space or area.
on	On means touching the surface of something.
at	At means a specific place or point.
next to	Next to means very close and to the side of something.
beside	Beside means at the side of something.
between	Between means in the space separating two things.
behind	Behind means at the back of something.
in front of	In front of means at the forward side of something.

English forms direction phrases by combining verbs with place words and prepositions. Go, turn, and continue are common verbs for giving directions. Go straight uses straight to mean without turning. Take the first left or right uses ordinal numbers to identify a turn. Across from is a fixed phrase to describe something on the opposite side.

Word/Phrase	Definition
go straight	Go straight means continue forward without turning.
turn left	Turn left means change direction to the left.
turn right	Turn right means change direction to the right.
go past	Go past means move beyond a place without stopping.
continue	Continue means keep moving in the same direction.
take the first left 1️⃣	Take the first left means turn left at the first opportunity.
take the first right 1️⃣	Take the first right means turn right at the first opportunity.
at the corner	At the corner means at the place where two streets meet.
at the intersection	At the intersection means at the place where roads cross.
across from	Across from means on the opposite side of a street or space.

The core vocabulary for directions and locations includes cardinal directions, movement words, common place words, spatial prepositions, and set phrases for giving directions. Mastery of these terms makes it possible to describe locations and navigate in English with clear reference points.