South in Different Languages
Discover 'South' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'south' holds a significant place in our understanding of the world around us. As one of the four cardinal directions, it helps us navigate the globe, with the Southern Hemisphere being home to diverse cultures, breathtaking landscapes, and unique ecosystems like the Amazon Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.
Moreover, the concept of 'south' has been woven into various cultural expressions and historical narratives. For instance, in literature, 'Gone with the Wind' portrays the American South during the Civil War era, while in mythology, the Underworld is often located in the southern portion of the sky.
Given its importance, you might be interested in learning how to say 'south' in different languages, as it can provide a window into various cultural perspectives and enhance your cross-cultural communication skills.
Here are some translations to get you started:
South
South in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | suid | ||
| The word "suid" can also refer to pigs or boars, as the Afrikaans word for "pig" is "vark" or "varken". | |||
| Amharic | ደቡብ | ||
| The Amharic word "ደቡብ" can also refer to the left-hand side and to the back or rear. | |||
| Hausa | kudu | ||
| The name is possibly derived from the Songhai language term "koodoo", meaning "the back" or "southward", or the Zarma language term "goudou," meaning "riverside" | |||
| Igbo | ndịda | ||
| Historically and in some dialects, 'ndịda' also refers to the left in a pair. | |||
| Malagasy | atsimo | ||
| The word 'atsimo' in Malagasy also refers to a region in the southern part of the island. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kum'mwera | ||
| The word "kum'mwera" also refers to the season of the year between March and May when the rains stop and the weather is cold. | |||
| Shona | chamhembe | ||
| "Chamhembe" is the Shona term for "south". It is also the name of a river in Zimbabwe that flows into the Zambezi River. | |||
| Somali | koonfur | ||
| The word 'Koonfur' also has the alternate meaning of 'darkness' in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | boroa | ||
| In Sesotho, 'boroa' can also be the name of a person, or an ingredient used to make traditional medicine | |||
| Swahili | kusini | ||
| The Swahili word "kusini" derives from the Arabic word "qibla," which also means "south". | |||
| Xhosa | mazantsi | ||
| The Xhosa word "mazantsi" has another meaning, "the way to the sun", as the sun sets in the west, the direction is referred to as "mabutsheni". | |||
| Yoruba | guusu | ||
| The Yoruba word "guusu" means "south," but it can also be used to refer to the "left side" or the "western direction." | |||
| Zulu | eningizimu | ||
| The word 'eningizimu' in Zulu also refers to the 'lower part' or 'bottom' of something. | |||
| Bambara | worodugu | ||
| Ewe | anyiehe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | majyepfo | ||
| Lingala | sude | ||
| Luganda | sawusi | ||
| Sepedi | borwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | anaafoɔ | ||
South in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | جنوب | ||
| The word "جنوب" also refers to the south or the southern direction of any place or thing. | |||
| Hebrew | דָרוֹם | ||
| The word "דָרוֹם" (darom) also means "dwell" or "inhabit" in Hebrew, suggesting a connection between the south and the place of residence. | |||
| Pashto | سویل | ||
| The Pashto word "سویل" not only means "south" but also "left" in the context of direction and "back" in the context of an animal's body. | |||
| Arabic | جنوب | ||
| The word "جنوب" also refers to the south or the southern direction of any place or thing. | |||
South in Western European Languages
| Albanian | në jug | ||
| The word "në jug" also has the figurative meaning of "to the right". | |||
| Basque | hegoaldea | ||
| "Hegoaldea" is a Basque compound word composed of "hego" (south) and "aldea" (side), referring to the Basque Country south of the Pyrenees. | |||
| Catalan | sud | ||
| In Catalan, "sud" derives from the Latin "subtus" meaning "below," as southerly winds are often associated with cooler temperatures. | |||
| Croatian | jug | ||
| In addition to meaning "south," "jug" also means "pitcher" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | syd | ||
| The word "syd" is also used in Norwegian and Swedish, and its root is the Proto-Indo-European root "*se-," meaning "to turn" or "to set (of the sun)." | |||
| Dutch | zuiden | ||
| The word "zuiden" can also mean "the land", or "the countryside". | |||
| English | south | ||
| From Old English sūth, from Proto-Germanic *sunþaz (also the source of Old Norse sunnan, German Süden, Dutch zuid). | |||
| French | sud | ||
| In Old French, "Sud" also meant "below, lower part" and "the part of the body located at the bottom of the back." | |||
| Frisian | súd | ||
| The West Frisian word "Súd" can also refer to the Southern European or Mediterranean region. | |||
| Galician | sur | ||
| Besides meaning "south", "sur" can mean "southeast" or "under the wind" in Galician. | |||
| German | süden | ||
| The word "Süden" in German also refers to the countries in the south of the European continent. | |||
| Icelandic | suður | ||
| The word "suður" comes from the Old Norse word "sœðr", which means "toward the sun". | |||
| Irish | ó dheas | ||
| As 'ó dheas' translates to 'south' in English, its Latin-based spelling is 'déas'. | |||
| Italian | sud | ||
| The word "Sud" in Italian comes from the Latin word "sub", meaning "under" or "beneath", and refers to the southern position of Italy relative to the rest of Europe. | |||
| Luxembourgish | süden | ||
| The word "Süden" in Luxembourgish also means "the midday meal". | |||
| Maltese | fin-nofsinhar | ||
| "Fin-nofsinhar" is a Maltese word meaning "south" which literally translates to "in the throat of the wind". | |||
| Norwegian | sør | ||
| "Sør" shares the same root word as "sun" in English, implying that the south is the direction of the sun. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sul | ||
| "Sul" in Portuguese originally meant "sun," from Latin "sol," referring to the direction it shines. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | deas | ||
| Deas is cognate with the Welsh word dehau and the Irish word deas, all meaning "right hand". | |||
| Spanish | sur | ||
| In French, "sur" also means "above". | |||
| Swedish | söder | ||
| The word "söder" is also used in Swedish to refer to the southern parts of Stockholm, such as the island of Södermalm. | |||
| Welsh | de | ||
| The word "de" in Welsh can also mean "right" or "dexter" in a directional sense. | |||
South in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | паўднёвы | ||
| The word "паўднёвы" in Belarusian originates from the Old Church Slavonic "пъдънъ", meaning "southern, towards the foot of the mountain". | |||
| Bosnian | jug | ||
| The word `jug` also means `yolk` or `jug` (the container). | |||
| Bulgarian | юг | ||
| In Bulgarian, the word "юг" also means a warm wind blowing from the south or an open and sunny region. | |||
| Czech | jižní | ||
| The word "jižní" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *jugъ, which also means "right" or "the right side of the body". | |||
| Estonian | lõunasse | ||
| The word "lõunasse" in Estonian language also means "for lunch" and the noun form "lõuna" means both "lunch" and "the South". | |||
| Finnish | etelään | ||
| The word "etelään" can also refer to the opposite direction, north, in Finnish mythology. | |||
| Hungarian | déli | ||
| "Déli" (meaning "southern") in Hungarian can also be used in a colloquial way to signify a person with southern characteristics, particularly those who are from southern parts of the country, and sometimes to indicate that one has a rustic and conservative nature. | |||
| Latvian | uz dienvidiem | ||
| “Dienvidi” may have come from Indo-European roots meaning “the sunny side”. | |||
| Lithuanian | į pietus | ||
| Etymology: Old Prussian *pītan 'south', perhaps from Proto-Baltic *pītas. | |||
| Macedonian | југ | ||
| Македонската дума "југ" произлиза од словенската дума "júgъ", што значи "топла страна". | |||
| Polish | południe | ||
| The word 'południe' comes from the Proto-Slavic word 'polъdьne', meaning 'half of the day', and also refers to the direction from which the midday sun shines. | |||
| Romanian | sud | ||
| The word "sud" derives from the Latin "sudus", meaning "southern", and also designates the south side of a mountain (when facing east) in traditional Romanian architecture. | |||
| Russian | юг | ||
| The word "юг" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "югъ", which also means "right" or "east". Its cognate in other Slavic languages is related to the word "sun". | |||
| Serbian | југ | ||
| While "југ" typically means "south" in Serbian, it can also refer to the "left hand" or "west" in certain contexts | |||
| Slovak | juh | ||
| In Old Church Slavonic and Old Russian, the word "juh" also meant "warm". | |||
| Slovenian | južno | ||
| The word "južno" is also the name of a Slovenian rock band formed in 1995. | |||
| Ukrainian | південь | ||
| The word “південь” comes from Proto-Indo-European root *speu- meaning “to spit,” as in the direction of wind (i.e. the south). | |||
South in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দক্ষিণ | ||
| The word "দক্ষিণ" also means "right" in Bengali, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "dakshina", which means both "right" and "south". | |||
| Gujarati | દક્ષિણ | ||
| The word ંેખસીન ("dakshiN") also means "right" in Gujarati, denoting the right-hand side or direction and possibly reflecting the cultural significance of the right-hand as being auspicious and associated with divine power. | |||
| Hindi | दक्षिण | ||
| The word "दक्षिण" also means right (as opposed to left) or skillful and competent. | |||
| Kannada | ದಕ್ಷಿಣ | ||
| The word "ದಕ್ಷಿಣ" (dakshina) in Kannada also means "right (as opposed to left)", "dexterous", "skillful", or "capable". | |||
| Malayalam | തെക്ക് | ||
| The Malayalam word "തെക്ക്" (south) shares its root with the Old Tamil word "തെക്ക" (darkness), signifying the association between the south and the setting sun. | |||
| Marathi | दक्षिण | ||
| The word "दक्षिण" also implies "grace", hence the word "दक्षिणा" (money given to people to show respect or for service rendered) | |||
| Nepali | दक्षिण | ||
| The word "दक्षिण" also refers to the goddess of wealth and prosperity in Hinduism. | |||
| Punjabi | ਦੱਖਣ | ||
| "Dakkhin" can also mean strong, capable, powerful | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දකුණු | ||
| The term is also found in many place names, such as Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka, India. | |||
| Tamil | தெற்கு | ||
| The word "தெற்கு" (therku) in Tamil can also mean "right side" or "opposite direction". | |||
| Telugu | దక్షిణాన | ||
| The word "దక్షిణాన" can also refer to the southern direction, the southern regions of India, or the Deccan Plateau. | |||
| Urdu | جنوب | ||
| The Urdu word "جنوب" (south) is cognate with the Persian word "جنوب" (south) and the Arabic word "جنوب" (south). | |||
South in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 南 | ||
| The original character for 南 was a drawing of the sun hanging above a roof, to symbolize the noon sun, which is always in the south. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 南 | ||
| 南 can also mean "male" when used as an adjective, as in 南方 (southern) or 南朝 (Southern Dynasties). | |||
| Japanese | 南 | ||
| The Japanese character "南" (pronounced "minami") also means "the sunny side" and is often used to indicate the direction of the sun. | |||
| Korean | 남쪽 | ||
| "남쪽" (south) literally means "sun side" in Korean, as it is the direction the sun faces. | |||
| Mongolian | өмнөд | ||
| Өмнөд is also used to refer to the back of an animal or object or to the posterior part of the body. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တောင် | ||
| Burmese "တောင်" (taung) also means "mountain" and can be used to denote southern regions of the country because Burma is mostly mountainous in the south and west. | |||
South in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | selatan | ||
| The word 'Selatan' in Indonesian also has a connotation of 'downwards' or 'lower' in terms of geographical position. | |||
| Javanese | kidul | ||
| "Kidul" in Javanese may also refer to the supernatural realm associated with the southern sea. | |||
| Khmer | ខាងត្បូង | ||
| Etymology: from Pali/Sanskrit "dakṣiṇa", meaning "right side, south" or "southern, being on or toward the right". "ខាង" usually means "side" or "direction" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ພາກໃຕ້ | ||
| Malay | selatan | ||
| The word 'selatan' (south) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'siryah' which means 'cool' and refers to the cooler southerly regions of the Indian subcontinent. | |||
| Thai | ทิศใต้ | ||
| The word "ทิศใต้" (south) in Thai comes from the Sanskrit word "dakṣiṇa" (right), which is the opposite of "uttara" (north), which means "left". | |||
| Vietnamese | miền nam | ||
| The word "miền Nam" in Vietnamese can also refer to a region in the south of Vietnam or a southern dialect of the Vietnamese language. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | timog | ||
South in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | cənub | ||
| The word "cənub" derives from the Old Turkic word *kün*, meaning "sun". | |||
| Kazakh | оңтүстік | ||
| The Kazakh word оңтүстік "south" was first used in the 17th century to specifically refer to the "southeast" direction. | |||
| Kyrgyz | түштүк | ||
| The word "түштүк" also means "lunch" in Kyrgyz, as it is typically eaten in the afternoon, during the southern part of the day. | |||
| Tajik | ҷануб | ||
| The Persian and Tajik word 'جنوب' comes originally from Akkadian, via Arabic and Turkish. | |||
| Turkmen | günorta | ||
| Uzbek | janub | ||
| The word "janub" in Uzbek is also used to refer to the direction of prayer in Islam, known as the Qibla, and can also mean "right" or "south." | |||
| Uyghur | جەنۇب | ||
South in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ka hema | ||
| The word "ka hema" in Hawaiian can also refer to the place of death or the afterworld. | |||
| Maori | tonga | ||
| In Maori mythology, Tonga is also the name of the god of the underworld | |||
| Samoan | saute | ||
| "Saute" comes from the Proto-Polynesian word *saŋati, which also means "to fry". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | timog | ||
| The Tagalog word "Timog" may also mean "darkness" or "shadow". | |||
South in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | aynacha | ||
| Guarani | ñemby | ||
South in International Languages
| Esperanto | sude | ||
| The word "sude" can also mean "south wind" or "southern place". | |||
| Latin | meridianam | ||
| In Roman mythology, Meridianam is the Roman goddess who represents the south or noon, and was the consort of the sun god Apollo. | |||
South in Others Languages
| Greek | νότος | ||
| "Νότος" comes from the Proto-Greek word "*not-os, | |||
| Hmong | sab qab teb | ||
| The word "sab qab teb" also refers to anything that is located in the southern region. | |||
| Kurdish | başûr | ||
| The word "başûr" also means "right" or "right-hand side" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | güney | ||
| "Güney" also refers to the southerly point or region, the opposite end of the horizon. | |||
| Xhosa | mazantsi | ||
| The Xhosa word "mazantsi" has another meaning, "the way to the sun", as the sun sets in the west, the direction is referred to as "mabutsheni". | |||
| Yiddish | דרום | ||
| The Yiddish word "דרום" originated from the Hebrew word "דרים" (darim), meaning "dwellings" or "southern slopes", and also referred to the southern part of the Land of Israel | |||
| Zulu | eningizimu | ||
| The word 'eningizimu' in Zulu also refers to the 'lower part' or 'bottom' of something. | |||
| Assamese | দক্ষিণ | ||
| Aymara | aynacha | ||
| Bhojpuri | दक्खिन | ||
| Dhivehi | ދެކުނު | ||
| Dogri | दक्खन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | timog | ||
| Guarani | ñemby | ||
| Ilocano | abagatan | ||
| Krio | sawt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | باشوور | ||
| Maithili | साऊथ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯥ | ||
| Mizo | chhim | ||
| Oromo | kibba | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦକ୍ଷିଣ | ||
| Quechua | qulla | ||
| Sanskrit | दक्षिण | ||
| Tatar | көньяк | ||
| Tigrinya | ደቡብ | ||
| Tsonga | dzonga | ||