南 nán — south
nán (second tone, rising)nan2
south
HSK 3· HSK 1–4 (classic)Level 3· Three-band, nine-level standardnoun
Meanings
south
The direction. Chinese names the compass in the order 东南西北, not north-first as English does, and a Chinese address works down from the largest unit to the smallest in the same spirit.
noun
Example sentences
- 从这儿向南走十分钟就是火车站。從這兒向南走十分鐘就是火車站。Cóng (second tone, rising) zhèr (fourth tone, falling) xiàng (fourth tone, falling) nán (second tone, rising) zǒu (third tone, dipping) shí (second tone, rising) fēnzhōng (first tone, high and level) jiù (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) huǒchēzhàn. (third tone, dipping)···
Walk south from here for ten minutes and you are at the railway station.
- 我的房间向南，太阳很好。我的房間向南，太陽很好。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) fángjiān (second tone, rising) xiàng (fourth tone, falling) nán, (second tone, rising) tàiyáng (fourth tone, falling) hěn (third tone, dipping) hǎo. (third tone, dipping)···
My room faces south — it gets lovely sun.
Common mistakes
Not quite我南走。
Correct我向南走。
A bare direction word cannot govern a verb. It needs 向 or 往 in front of it: 向南走, 向东看. Alone, 南 only names the place.