南米
Nanbei[nã̠mbe̞ː]
South America in Japanese is 南米 (Nanbei) or 南アメリカ (Minami Amerika).
Meaning: continent that is the southern part of the Americas (name)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 南米 | Nanbei | [nã̠mbe̞ː] (narrow) |
| 南アメリカ | Minami Amerika | [mʲina̠mʲi a̠me̞ɾʲika̠] (narrow) |
The phrase refers to the continent that is the southern part of the Americas.
What does it mean word for word?
南米 (Nanbei) is composed of 南 (south) and 米 (an abbreviation for America). 南アメリカ (Minami Amerika) is composed of 南 (south) and アメリカ (America).
Which one should you use?
南米 is a shorter, more common way to refer to the continent in daily conversation and news headlines, whereas 南アメリカ is the full name.
How do you pronounce it?
Nanbei
Did you know?
- The single kanji character 米 (kome), which usually means 'rice', is used as a standard abbreviation for 'America' in Japanese.
- While 南米 is common, Japanese speakers often group South America and Central America together under the broader term 中南米, meaning 'Central and South America'.
- The abbreviation 米 is so pervasive that 'US-Japan relations' is written as 日米 (Nichibei), combining the characters for 'Japan' and 'rice'.
Examples in context
- 私達は南米を旅行した。We traveled in South America.This sentence is useful for describing travel to 南米.Tatoeba #151380 by bunbuku, translation #263176 by CK
- ブラジルは南アメリカにあります。Brazil is located in South America.This sentence is useful for stating the location of a country in 南アメリカ.Tatoeba #11329104 by small_snow, translation #2036343 by AlanF_US
- サツマイモは、南アメリカが原産です。The sweet potato is native to South America.This sentence is useful for discussing the origins of a plant in 南アメリカ.Tatoeba #10306179 by small_snow, translation #9136725 by Hybrid
- Watashi no tomodachi wa Minami Amerika kara kita. (私の友達は南アメリカから来た。)My friend came from South America.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their future travel plans at a cafe.
- 健太 Kenta南米に行ってみたいですか？Nanbei ni itte mitai desu ka?Do you want to try going to South America?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、とても興味があります。Hai, totemo kyoumi ga arimasu.Yes, I am very interested.
- 健太 Kenta陽葵さんはどの国に行きたいですか？Himari-san wa dono kuni ni ikitai desu ka?Which country do you want to go to, Himari?
- 陽葵 Himariペルーに行って、遺跡を見たいです。Peru ni itte, iseki o mitai desu.I want to go to Peru and see the ruins.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “south america” translations and entries 南米, 南アメリカ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
