noroeste
/noɾoˈeste/
The English phrase "north west" is translated into Spanish as noroeste.
noroeste is used to denote the direction halfway between north and west.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of norte (north) and oeste (west).
How does it change in a sentence?
When describing a location in relation to another place, such as saying something is located to the northwest of a specific city, use the prepositional phrase al noroeste de. Note that noroeste is written as a single word without a space or hyphen.
How do you pronounce it?
/noɾoˈeste/
Did you know?
- The word norte shares a common prehistoric ancestor with the English word 'north'. Both words descend from the Proto-Indo-European root *nér, which originally referred to the left side or the left hand.
- In certain Latin American regions, the word norte is often used as a shorthand or euphemism to refer to the United States, particularly in discussions regarding migration or trade.
- In Spanish, the word norte can be used metaphorically to mean 'guidance' or 'purpose'. If you say someone has 'perdido su norte', it implies they have lost their way in life or lost sight of their goals.
Examples in context
- Glasgow está a unos 550 km al noroeste de Londres.Glasgow is about 550 km north-west of London.This sentence shows how to use noroeste to describe the distance and direction between two cities.Tatoeba #10051350 by manufrutos, translation #10050210 by sundown
- El Noroeste es una región con paisajes impresionantesThe North West is a region with impressive landscapes
- Deberemos viajar hacia el noroeste para llegar a nuestro destinoWe will need to travel towards the north west to reach our destination
- El punto cardinal noroeste está marcado en el mapaThe cardinal point of the north west is marked on the map
- Para llegar al próximo pueblo, debemos seguir hacia el noroeste durante unos 50 kilómetros.To reach the next town, we must head north west for about 50 kilometers.
- El lago se encuentra al noroeste de la ciudad.The lake is located to the north west of the city.
- El viento sopla desde el noroeste.The wind blows from the northwest.
- Debemos viajar hacia el noroeste para llegar.We must travel towards the northwest to arrive.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are looking at a map in a car.
- Alejandro¿Hacia dónde va la carretera principal?Which way does the main road go?
- SofíaVa hacia el noroeste, Alejandro.It goes towards the northwest, Alejandro.
- AlejandroPerfecto, entonces sigue esa dirección.Perfect, then follow that direction.
- SofíaEstá bien, yo conduzco.Okay, I will drive.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry noroeste, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries noroeste, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
