南 - nán - Chinese character definition, English meaning and stroke order

Ninchanese is the best way to learn Chinese.
Try it for free.

Sign me up

HSK 3 - Medium
9 strokes
Traditional (switch to Simplified)

南

nán

Definition

South
為什麼南方冬天沒有暖氣？

Why is there no central heating system in South China?

Character Decomposition

Compounds (6)

mumble in repetition

Machilus nanmu; Chinese cedar; Chinese giant redwood

腩

nǎn

brisket; belly beef; spongy meat from cow's underside and neighboring ribs; see 牛腩 esp. Cantonese; erroneously translated as sirloin

immature locusts

mumble in repetition

name of a country

Related words (53)

to go down south

fermented soybean curd

南側

nán cè

south side; south face

南北

nán běi

north and south; north to south

南華

nán huá

south or southern China

south slope

punitive expedition to the south

南方

nán fāng

south; southern; the southern part of the country; the South

南極

nán jí

(the) south pole; (the) Antarctic; the south magnetic pole

dried jujubes

pumpkin

southern end or extremity

see 毛竹

latitude south

south; south side; southern part; to the south of

southern part

south side; south

south and north poles

north-south distance

jack-o'-lantern

avocado (Persea americana)

南灰伯勞

nán huī bó láo

(bird species of China) southern grey shrike (Lanius meridionalis)

a regional accent

(of birds) to migrate south for the winter

southeast

to the south of (suffix)

司南

sī nán

ancient Chinese compass

southward

to guide; guidebook

extreme south

southwest

southeast part

south central region

southwestward

see 胖大海

(Andrew) Cunanan (alleged serial killer)

指南車

zhǐ nán chē

a mechanical compass invented by Zu Chongzhi 祖沖之|祖冲之

compass

heather

heath

heather (Ericaceae)

southwest Asia

southwest part

east, south, west and north; all directions

東西南北

dōng xī nán běi

east west south north

天南地北

tiān nán dì běi

distant places; all over the country; (to talk) about this and that

see 天南地北

(bird species of China) Latham's snipe (Gallinago hardwickii)

走南闖北

zǒu nán chuǎng běi

to travel extensively

東南西北中

dōng nán xī běi zhōng

the five directions 五方 east, south, west, north and middle

西南冠紋柳鶯

xī nán guān wén liǔ yīng

(bird species of China) Blyth's leaf warbler (Phylloscopus reguloides)

西南栗耳鳳鶥

xī nán lì ěr fèng méi

(bird species of China) striated yuhina (Yuhina castaniceps)

雲南白斑尾柳鶯

yún nán bái bān wěi liǔ yīng

(bird species of China) Davison's leaf warbler (Phylloscopus davisoni)

Idioms (7)

南征北伐

nán zhēng běi fá

war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters

南征北戰

nán zhēng běi zhàn

war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters

南征北討

nán zhēng běi tǎo

war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters

南箕北斗

nán jī běi dǒu

the Winnowing Basket in the southern sky, and the Big Dipper in the north (idiom); sth which, despite its name, is of no practical use

南轅北轍

nán yuán běi zhé

to act in a way that defeats one's purpose (idiom)

終南捷徑

zhōng nán jié jìng

(lit.) Mt Zhongnan is a shortcut to a ministerial job (idiom); fig. to take a shortcut to promotion

不撞南牆不回頭

bù zhuàng nán qiáng bù huí tóu

to stubbornly insist on one's own ideas (idiom)

Oh noes!

An error occured, please reload the page.
Don't hesitate to report a feedback if you have internet!

You are disconnected!

We have not been able to load the page.
Please check your internet connection and retry.

Retry