Writing
南方 (nán fāng) — how to say "south" in Chinese
南方
South
locative word
How to use it
Goes after the noun, not before it.
中国南方很热。
zhōng guó nán fāng hěn rè
Southern China is very hot.
Character composition
south
direction
Radicals / Keys
Square
#70 · fāng · 4 strokes
Ten
#24 · shí · 2 strokes
Collocations
南方人
nánfāng rén
southerner
住在南方
zhù zài nánfāng
live in the south
南方的天气
nánfāng de tiānqì
weather in the south
Examples
南方的城市冬天很少下雪,但夏天非常炎热潮湿。
Cities in the south rarely have snow in winter, but summers are very hot and humid.
我喜欢南方的天气。
I like the weather in the south.
Mnemonic

[nán fāng-] Nanuk the little polar bear was always cold and dreamed of a warm south. He took a compass and walked in the direction where the sun feels warmer. That is how Nanuk found 南方 — a place where even snow melts. 🐻❄️🧭
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Frequently asked questions
How to say south in Mandarin?
"south" in Chinese is 南方 (nán fāng).
南方 meaning in English
南方 (nán fāng) means "South".
How is 南方 pronounced?
It is pronounced nán fāng (written as nan fang, nanfang). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "south" in Chinese characters?
It is written 南方: 南 has 9 strokes, 方 has 4 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 南方?
南方 is on the HSK 3.0 level 3 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
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