The character 南 — “south”: how to write it and what it means
south
The Chinese character 南 is read nán and means “south”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 南
南 has 9 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 南, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
Words with 南
- 东南southeastHSK 3
- 西南southwestHSK 3
- 南方the south (of a country)HSK 3
- 南部southern partHSK 4
- 南美洲South AmericaHSK 6
- 南极洲AntarcticaHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 南?
南 has 9 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 南 mean?
南 means “south”. It appears in 东南 (“southeast”), 西南 (“southwest”), 南方 (“the south”), 南部 (“southern part”).
How do you pronounce 南?
南 is read nán. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 南 have?
9 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 南 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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