朝 / 向 / 往【cháo / xiàng / wǎng】

朝, 向 and 往 all mean "towards" and go before the verb. For plain movement in a direction, any of them works.

往 is the usual one for directions. The three part ways when the target is a person, a fixed position or an idea.

Towards a person: 朝 or 向

往 is about movement to a place, so it can't take a person. 朝 and 向 can.

• × 她往我笑了笑 → 她朝我笑了笑

Facing: 朝

朝 can describe which way something faces, with no movement at all. 往 can't, and 向 sounds written here.

• × 我的房间往南 → 我的房间朝南

Abstract: 向

Learning from, apologising to, asking – a target that isn't physical takes 向 only.

• × 我们应该朝他学习 → 我们应该向他学习

After the verb: 往 and 向

In writing, 往 and 向 can follow a verb of motion, and the destination comes after: 开往上海 "bound for Shanghai", 走向 "walk towards". 朝 doesn't go there.