norte, este, sur y oeste
/ˈnoɾte ˈeste ˈsuɾ i oˈeste/word by word
The Spanish for north, east, south and west is norte, este, sur y oeste.
These are the four cardinal directions, used for maps, compasses, weather reports and giving directions. To say towards the north, Spanish uses Hacia el norte. When talking about finding your way by the cardinal points, the related noun is orientación.
What does it mean word for word?
norte means north, este means east, sur means south and oeste means west. The word y means and.
How does it change in a sentence?
In ordinary writing the directions are written in lower case, as in norte, este, sur y oeste. The word y only changes to e before a word that starts with an i sound, so sur y oeste keeps y.
How do you pronounce it?
The four words are pronounced /ˈnoɾte ˈeste ˈsuɾ i oˈeste/. oeste has three syllables, with the stress on the middle one.
Did you know?
- In some contexts, el norte is used colloquially in certain Latin American countries to refer specifically to the United States.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, the phrase perder el norte is used to describe someone who has become confused or lost their way in life, rather than just losing their geographical bearing.
- While este means 'east', Spanish also uses the word levante to refer to the east, specifically referring to the direction from which the sun rises.
Examples in context
- El sol sale por el este.The sun rises in the east.
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are hiking and looking at a compass.
- Lucía¿Sabes dónde están el norte, este, sur y oeste?Do you know where north, east, south, and west are?
- MateoSí, el norte está hacia esa montaña.Yes, north is toward that mountain.
- LucíaEntonces el oeste debe ser a la derecha.Then west must be to the right.
- MateoExacto, la brújula nos guía bien.Exactly, the compass guides us well.
