noroeste
/noɾoˈeste/masculine
The English phrase northwest is noroeste in Spanish. Wiktionary also lists nordoeste and noroccidente.
Meaning: compass point (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| noroeste | /noɾoˈeste/ | masculine |
| nordoeste | /noɾdoeste/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| noroccidente | /noɾoɡθidente/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /noɾoɡsidente/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
| nordoccidente | /noɾdoɡθidente/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /noɾdoɡsidente/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
What does it mean word for word?
The standard form noroeste is a compound of norte (north) and oeste (west).
Which one should you use?
While noroeste is the standard term for the compass point, noroccidente is often used in more formal, geographical or academic contexts to describe a region.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form nordoeste is used in certain regions or contexts influenced by Portuguese or Galician, though noroeste is the standard in most of the Spanish-speaking world.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to a specific geographic region (the northwest), the masculine article el is used, as in el noroeste.
How do you pronounce it?
/noɾoˈeste/
Did you know?
- While noroeste describes a direction, the word occidente inside noroccidente comes from the Latin word for 'setting', referring to where the sun disappears.
- The word norte and the English word 'north' share a common ancestor from Proto-Indo-European, making them distant linguistic cousins.
- Unlike English, which uses 'northwest' as both a noun and an adjective, noroeste often requires the preposition de when describing the location of one city relative to another.
Examples in context
- Estoy viajando hacia el noroeste de la ciudad.I'm traveling towards the northwest of the city.
- El viento viene del noroeste.The wind is coming from the northwest.
- La ciudad está en el noroeste del país.The city is in the northwest of the country.
- Debemos viajar hacia el noroeste.We must travel towards the northwest.
Example conversation
María and Daniel are looking at a map.
- MaríaDaniel, ¿dónde está la costa?Daniel, where is the coast?
- DanielEstá hacia el noroeste, María.It is toward the northwest, María.
- MaríaEstá muy lejos de aquí.It is very far from here.
- DanielSí, tenemos que conducir mucho.Yes, we have to drive a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “northwest” translations and entries noroeste, noroccidente, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries noroeste, CC BY-SA 4.0.
