norte
/ˈnoɾte/masculine
In Spanish, 'north' is translated as norte. Wiktionary also lists septentrión.
Meaning: compass point (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| norte | /ˈnoɾte/ | masculine |
| septentrión | /sebtenˈtɾjon/ | masculine |
norte is a masculine noun used to denote the compass point. When referring to 'the north' as a specific direction or region, the definite article el is almost always used. For meteorology, the phrase del norte is used to describe a wind from the north. To describe people, culture or things originating from a northern region, the adjective norteño is frequently used, while nortino and the prefix nord- also pertain to the north.
Which one should you use?
norte is the standard word for the direction, while septentrión serves as a formal or literary synonym for the north.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Both norte and septentrión are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈnoɾte/
Did you know?
- Unlike English, which uses 'North' for both the direction and the region, Spanish speakers frequently use el norte to refer to the United States specifically when speaking from Mexico.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, the phrase perder el norte means to become confused or lose one's sense of direction in life, not just physically.
- The literary synonym septentrión is actually a direct reference to the seven stars of the Big Dipper constellation, which used to be known as the 'seven ox-drivers' in Latin.
Examples in context
- ¿Cuál es el norte?Which way is north?This sentence is useful for asking which direction is north using norte.Tatoeba #7929309 by arh, translation #7733769 by CK
- Irán a América del norte.They will go to North America.This sentence is useful for mentioning North America using norte.Tatoeba #12051333 by JSKabylie15, translation #12832984 by Yepthatscool
- La veleta apunta al norte.The weather vane points north.This sentence is useful for describing a weather vane pointing north using norte.Tatoeba #1939362 by teskmon, translation #319721 by Kat
- El museo está situado al norte de la ciudad.The museum is located to the north of the city.
- Para llegar al estadio, debes dirigirte hacia el punto cardinal norte.To reach the stadium, you should head towards the cardinal point north.
- Vamos al lugar turístico, está al norte del pueblo.Let's go to the tourist spot, it's north of the town.
- Debes caminar hacia el noroeste para encontrar el mercado.You should walk northwest to find the market.
- Los vientos soplan desde el hemisferio boreal hacia el sur.The winds blow from the northern hemisphere towards the south.
- 96 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are looking at a map together.
- SofíaEl bosque está hacia el norte.The forest is toward the north.
- JavierNo veo el norte en este mapa.I don't see the north on this map.
- SofíaMira, el norte está arriba aquí.Look, the north is up here.
- JavierAhora lo veo, gracias Sofía.I see it now, thank you Sofía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “north” translations and entries norte, septentrión, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
