1.
facing; toward; addressed to (someone)
The て form of 向かう (to face, to head toward), used like a postposition: ～に向かって 'toward, facing, addressed at'. Marks the direction of motion, of attention, or of speech.
駅に向かって歩いた。
I walked toward the station.
窓に向かって座っている。
I'm sitting facing the window.
上司に向かってそんな口調で話してはいけない。
You shouldn't speak to your boss in that tone.
未来に向かって一歩踏み出そう。
Let's take a step toward the future.
Functions almost as a postposition. The full pattern is Xに}{向かって — the に is required.
COMMON USES:
- Physical direction: 北に向かって進む (head north)
- Facing position: 鏡に向かって (facing the mirror)
- Target of speech or action: みんなに向かって叫んだ (shouted at everyone)
- Abstract goal: 目標に向かって (toward a goal)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- ～に対して: against; toward — more abstract, often for stance or attitude
- ～の方へ: in the direction of — less directional intent than 向かって
- ～へ: to; toward — bare directional particle without the 'facing' nuance