North, South, East & West in Chinese 方向
fāngxiàng
North, south, east, west in Chinese is 东南西北 (dōng nán xī běi).
Also searched for as: NSEW, compass points, north west, cardinal directions.
Which direction are you facing? 15 essential north, south, east, west words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The word for direction is 方向 (fāng xiàng), and the four compass points in Chinese are 东 (dōng), 南 (nán), 西 (xī) and 北 (běi). Chinese builds the in-between directions with east or west first, so northeast is 东北 (dōng běi) and southwest is 西南 (xī nán), names you'll also hear for whole regions of China, such as 东北 for the far northeast.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 方向 | fāng xiàng | direction |
| 东边 | dōng bian | east side |
| 西边 | xī bian | west side |
| 南边 | nán bian | south side |
| 北边 | běi bian | north side |
| 东北 | dōng běi | northeast |
| 西北 | xī běi | northwest |
| 东南 | dōng nán | southeast |
| 西南 | xī nán | southwest |
| 往东走 | wǎng dōng zǒu | head east |
| 朝 | cháo | to face; towards |
| 指南针 | zhǐ nán zhēn | compass |
| 地图 | dì tú | map |
| 中部 | zhōng bù | the middle region |
| 沿海 | yán hǎi | coastal |
Usage tips
- 指南针 (zhǐ nán zhēn), compass, literally means 'needle pointing south', reflecting how early Chinese compasses were thought of as pointing south rather than north.
- 朝 (cháo) describes which way something faces, and 朝南 (cháo nán), south-facing, is a big selling point for flats in China because of the sunlight.
- Add 边 (bian) to make 'side' words that can follow a place, as in 公园北边 (gōng yuán běi bian), north of the park.
Common mistakes
- Saying 北东 or 南西 by following English order; Chinese puts east or west first, as in 东北 (dōng běi), northeast, and 西南 (xī nán), southwest.
- Saying 在中国北 for 'in the north of China'; add 方 or 部, as in 在中国北方 (zài Zhōng guó běi fāng).
Mini dialogue
- A你家在城市的哪边？Nǐ jiā zài chéng shì de nǎ biān?Which part of the city do you live in?
- B在西边，离公园不远。Zài xī bian, lí gōng yuán bù yuǎn.On the west side, not far from the park.
- A你的房间朝南吗？Nǐ de fáng jiān cháo nán ma?Does your room face south?
- B对，朝南，冬天也很暖和。Duì, cháo nán, dōng tiān yě hěn nuǎn huo.Yes, it's south-facing, so it's warm even in winter.
Example sentences
- 我没有方向感。I have no sense of direction.
- 太阳从东边升起来。The sun rises in the east.
- 我家在城市的西边。My home is on the west side of the city.
- 学校在公园南边。The school is south of the park.
- 北边比较冷。It's colder in the north.
- 东北的冬天非常冷。Winter in the northeast is extremely cold.
- 西北有很多沙漠。There are lots of deserts in the northwest.
- 东南沿海很发达。The southeast coast is very developed.
- 成都在中国的西南。Chengdu is in southwest China.
- 往东走两站就到了。Head two stops east and you're there.
- 我的房间朝南。My room faces south.
- 爬山带个指南针。Take a compass when you go hiking.
- 你看得懂这张地图吗？Can you read this map?
- 武汉在中国中部。Wuhan is in central China.
- 沿海城市很多。There are lots of coastal cities.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The North, south, east, west speaking island has 8 everyday questions about north, south, east, west to prepare your own answers to.