Meaning of 南
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- south
- surname Nan
- used in 南無|南无[na1 mo2]
- Taiwan pr. [na2]
How to use 南
南 (nán) usually appears in compounds like 南方 (nánfāng, the south) and 南边 (nánbian, the south side), and in directions such as 东南 (dōngnán, southeast). In Chinese, compound directions put 东 or 西 first, so southeast is 东南, not 南东. Example: 我家在学校南边。(Wǒ jiā zài xuéxiào nánbian.) My home is south of the school.
Think of 南 (nán) as a house with a wide roof on top and a warm room inside, built to face the sun. In China, houses traditionally face south toward the sunlight, so this sheltered shape can remind you of south.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 南 (nán, south) and 男 (nán, male) because they sound exactly the same. They also write southwest as 南西 by copying English word order, but the correct word is 西南 (xīnán).
南 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
南 nán · south · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 南.
| 南边 | nánbian | south; south side |
| 南方 | nánfāng | south; southern direction; (in China) southern regions, often referring to areas south of |
| 西南 | xīnán | southwest |
| 东南 | dōngnán | southeast |
| 南部 | nánbù | southern part |
| 南极 | nánjí | the South Pole; the south magnetic pole |
| 南北 | nánběi | north and south; north to south |
| 南瓜 | nánguā | pumpkin |
| 指南 | zhǐnán | to guide; guidebook |
| 指南针 | zhǐnánzhēn | compass |
| 南面 | nánmiàn | south side; south |
| 南下 | nánxià | to go down south |
Questions about 南
What does 南 mean?
南 (nán) means "south" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 南?
南 is made of 1 character: 南 (9 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 南 an HSK word?
Yes. 南 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 南方 mean when Chinese people talk about China?
Besides the plain direction south, 南方 (nánfāng) often means southern China as a cultural region, roughly the areas south of the Yangtze River. People contrast 南方人 (southerners) with 北方人 (northerners), for example in food habits like rice versus wheat.
Why is 南 sometimes pronounced nā?
The reading nā is only used in the Buddhist phrase 南无 (nāmó), a transliteration meaning to pay homage, as in 南无阿弥陀佛. In Taiwan this is pronounced ná. In everyday words, 南 is always nán.