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Using 南 (nán) to express south as a location
Direction & Movement
Location & Position
Structure
南 + Place Name
Explanation
南 (nán) means "south" and is used as a directional prefix to indicate the southern part of a place. It combines directly with place names to form compound locations, such as 南佛罗里达 (South Florida) or 南京 (Nanjing, literally "Southern Capital"). As a location prefix, it does not require any connecting particle.
Examples
他们住在南加州一个安静的小镇上。
Tāmen zhù zài Nán Jiāzhōu yī gè ānjìng de xiǎo zhèn shàng.
They live in a quiet small town in Southern California.
南京是中国历史上重要的古都。
Nánjīng shì Zhōngguó lìshǐ shàng zhòngyào de gǔdū.
Nanjing is an important ancient capital in Chinese history.
风从南边吹过来，天气暖和了不少。
Fēng cóng nánbiān chuī guòlái, tiānqì nuǎnhuo le bù shǎo.
The wind blew from the south, and the weather became much warmer.