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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "south" in Chinese?
南
nán
In Chinese, "south" is 南.
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Pronunciation
One syllable: 'nahn' with a flat, level tone. Steady and calm like the hot, still southern climate.
Writing and usage
Nan is six strokes. The character contains a radical suggesting southward direction or the concept of warmth.
Example sentence
我们去南方旅行。
We are traveling to the south.
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How to remember 南
Nan sounds like 'nahn' - the soft, warm direction. Remember it as the opposite of north (bei).
Related words
- backwards 向后 xiàng hòu
- inside 里面 ǐ miàn
- left 左 zuǒ
- next to 在旁边 zài páng biān
- north-east 东北 dōng běi
- north-west 西北 xī běi
- right 右 yòu
- south-east 东南 dōng nán
- south-west 西南 xī nán
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 南
How do you say "south" in Chinese?
In Chinese, "south" is 南. It is a noun.
How is 南 written in Chinese?
Nan is six strokes. The character contains a radical suggesting southward direction or the concept of warmth.
How is 南 used in a sentence?
Use 南 as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: 我们去南方旅行。 (We are traveling to the south.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
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"South" in other languages
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