Key Facts
- Hangul: 남쪽; Revised Romanization: namjjok
- Part of speech: noun (direction)
- Origin: mixed, hanja 南 (south) + native 쪽 (side)
- Register: Neutral, everyday word used in both spoken and written Korean.
South in Korean: What Does 남쪽 Mean?
남쪽 means "south" and is used in both speech and writing. It is a direction noun with a neutral register. You can attach 으로 to say "toward the south" or 에 to say "in the south".
How Do You Pronounce It?
Two syllables with a tense consonant: nam-jjok. The ㅉ is tight and unaspirated, and the final ㄱ is not released.
Example Sentences with 남쪽
부산은 남쪽에 있어요.
Busaneun namjjoge isseoyo.
Busan is in the south.
부산 is Busan, and 에 있어요 places it. This is the model sentence for "X is in the south".
겨울에 남쪽으로 여행 가요.
Gyeoure namjjogeuro yeohaeng gayo.
I travel south in winter.
겨울에 means "in winter", and 으로 shows direction. 여행 가요 is "go on a trip".
남쪽 바다는 따뜻해요.
Namjjok badaneun ttatteutaeyo.
The southern sea is warm.
바다 is "sea". Adding 남쪽 before it turns a general noun into "the southern sea".
Common Phrases and Collocations
남쪽으로 가다 is to go south, 남쪽 지방 is the southern region and 남쪽 바다 is the southern sea.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 남쪽으로 가다 | to go south |
| 남쪽 지방 | southern region |
| 남쪽 바다 | southern sea |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners may confuse the compass word 남 with the native word for other people.
Wrong: assuming every 남 means "other people".
Correct: 남 can also mean south. Use 남쪽 for clear everyday directions, and read 남 in context: it may be a compass label, part of 남한, or the separate word for other people.
남쪽 Compared with Similar Words
The opposite is 북쪽, "north". The shorter 남 appears on compasses and inside 남한, "South Korea", where it is Sino-Korean for "south". For travel directions the full 남쪽 is the safe form.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 남쪽 | south | This page's word |
| 북쪽 | north | 북쪽 is the opposite. |
| 남 | south (Sino-Korean) | Used on compasses and in 남한 'South Korea'. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
남쪽 is a mixed word: 南 "south" plus the native Korean 쪽 "side". It literally means "south side".
Finding a Park on a Map
A visitor is looking at a neighbourhood map with a local resident. They need a compass direction before choosing which way to walk.
Visitor
공원이 어디에 있어요?
Gongwoni eodie isseoyo?
Where is the park?
Resident
역 남쪽에 있어요.
Yeok namjjoge isseoyo.
It is south of the station.
Visitor
그럼 남쪽으로 가면 돼요?
Geureom namjjogeuro gamyeon dwaeyo?
Then should I go south?
Resident
네, 남쪽으로 쭉 가세요.
Ne, namjjogeuro jjuk gaseyo.
Yes, keep going straight south.
역 남쪽 uses the station as the reference point: the park is on its southern side. In the question, 가면 돼요 asks whether that action is the right thing to do. The resident answers with 가세요, a polite instruction. 남쪽 itself stays the same across all three lines.
South of Somewhere, or toward the South?
남쪽에 describes a location; 남쪽으로 describes movement in a direction. The final consonant of 쪽 is why the direction marker is 으로. A destination can still take 에 with a movement verb, but “head south” focuses on a direction rather than a named destination.
A reference point can come directly before 남쪽. 서울 남쪽 means “south of Seoul”, while 건물 남쪽 means “the south side of the building”. This is useful when a map shows several buildings: the direction alone does not tell you which building or landmark the speaker is using.
남쪽 is a compass direction, while 오른쪽 is the right-hand side. If you turn around, your right changes, but south stays south. When someone gives a compass direction, check the map orientation before turning. The top of a phone map may follow your direction of travel if you have rotated the map.
Where Will You Meet 남쪽 and Related Forms?
Weather forecasts use 남쪽 지방 for southern areas. Here 지방 means “region”, so the phrase describes a broad area rather than a single point. In travel talk, 남쪽 바다 refers to a sea on the southern side. The reference may be Korea or another place already being discussed.
On maps and compasses, the shorter 남 can label south alongside 동, 서 and 북. It is a real direction noun as well as an element in compounds; the National Institute of Korean Language’s entry for 남 gives this compass meaning. Use the fuller 남쪽 when asking an everyday direction question.
남쪽으로 내려가다 literally combines going south with “going down”. In a travel conversation, 내려가다 can describe movement down a map, rather than a descent in height. It does not tell you that the road slopes downhill. Likewise, a “southern region” is a geographic description, not the proper name of South Korea.
Direction Words to Learn Together
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 북쪽 | north | The opposite of 남쪽. |
| 동쪽 | east | Another fixed compass direction. |
| 서쪽 | west | Pair it with 동쪽 when describing a map. |
| 오른쪽 | right | Depends on which way you face. |
The directions and position lesson groups compass directions with position words. Use a compass word for orientation and a left/right word for a turn.
Quick Self-Test
- Which fits a location: 남쪽에 or 남쪽으로?
- Does 남쪽 always mean the same direction as 오른쪽?
- What is the reference point in 역 남쪽?
Show answers
- 남쪽에. 남쪽으로 means toward the south.
- No. 오른쪽 changes with the direction you face.
- 역, the station. The phrase means south of the station.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "south" in Korean?
Say 남쪽 (namjjok). Add 에 for a location, as in 부산은 남쪽에 있어요, or 으로 for a direction of travel, as in 남쪽으로 가다.
How do you say "go south"?
Say 남쪽으로 가다. In the polite present, 겨울에 남쪽으로 여행 가요 means I travel south in winter.
What is the opposite of 남쪽?
The opposite is 북쪽, north. Both are built the same way, a Sino-Korean compass element plus the native 쪽 (side).
Is 남쪽 the same as 남?
남 can mean south, especially on a compass or in compounds such as 남한 (South Korea). 남쪽 is the fuller everyday direction word. A separate native word 남 means other people, so context matters.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: the direction words page groups 남쪽 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 남쪽 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- The opposite direction is on the page for north.
- The previous word in the list is west.