南 — JLPT N5 Kanji
南 (ナン・ナ/みなみ): south. JLPT N5 essential kanji.
南
JLPT Level: N5 | Strokes: 9 | Radical: 十 (ten)
Readings
| Type | Reading | Romaji | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-yomi | ナン、ナ | nan, na | nan = south standard; na in some compounds |
| Kun-yomi | みなみ | minami | south |
Meanings
- South
- Southern
Vocabulary
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 南 | みなみ | minami | south | N5 |
| 南口 | みなみぐち | minamiguchi | south exit | N5 |
| 南米 | なんべい | nanbei | South America | N4 |
| 東南アジア | とうなんアジア | Toonan Ajia | Southeast Asia | N4 |
| 南極 | なんきょく | nankyoku | South Pole, Antarctica | N3 |
Stroke Order
- Top horizontal stroke with vertical 2-5. 冂-like enclosure with inner strokes 6-9. Bottom components with crossing strokes
Memory Aid
南 has a complex shape — imagine a compass needle pointing DOWN (south) with a complex rooftop structure above. The southern direction is warm (like the tropics), and the character feels "full" and warm.
Common Confusion
南 (south) vs 楠 (camphor tree) — the kanji 南 appears as a component in some tree-related characters. Memorize 南 as "south" by its compass association.