南 — how to write the kanji for “south”
南 (“south”) is a JLPT N5 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 341st most used kanji. Its parts: 十 (“ten”, its radical), strokes 1–2; 冂 (“wide”), strokes 3–4; 干 (“dry”), strokes 7–9, each finished before the next. On its own it is the word minami, “south”. Its common words take the reading nan: 南北 (“north and south”), 東南 (“south-east”), 南部 (“southern part”) and 南西 (“southwest”). Chinese reads it nán, “south”, at HSK 3.
- Strokes
- 9
- JLPT
- N5
- Radical
- 十 (“ten”)
- On
- ナン, ナ
- Kun
- みなみ
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Vertical ㇑leftdownwards
- Horizontal-turn-hook ㇆leftrightwards → downwards
- Dot ㇔leftdown and right
- Left-falling stroke ㇒centerdown and left
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐bottom leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑centerdownwards
Japanese and Chinese
The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (9 strokes in Japanese, 9 strokes in Chinese).
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- ナン nan, ナ na (rare)
- Kun (native)
- みなみ minami
- Meanings
- south
- Read nan
- 南北 東南 南部 南西 南米 中南米
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 341st of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 남 nam
- Common words
- 18 in JMdict
Words with 南
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 南北 | なんぼく nanboku | north and south; north to south |
| 東南 | とうなん tounan | south-east |
| 南部 | なんぶ nanbu | southern part; the south |
| 南西 | なんせい nansei | southwest |
| 南アフリカ | みなみアフリカ minamiafurika | South Africa |
| 南米 | なんべい nanbei | South America |
| 中南米 | ちゅうなんべい chuunanbei | Central and South America |
| 南東 | なんとう nantou | southeast |
| 南極 | なんきょく nankyoku | South Pole; the Antarctic |
| 南側 | みなみがわ minamigawa | south side |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N5, in list order: