南 (nán) means "south" with HSK 3 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: south
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
Oracle bone forms of 南 depict a bell-shaped or drum-like object hanging from a frame, thought to be a type of musical instrument used in southern states during ritual. The pictograph shows the suspended body with a handle or hanger at the top.
Form evolution
Bronze inscriptions preserved the hanging-instrument shape but added interior strokes suggesting decoration or a clapper. Seal script (篆书) regularised the outline into a rectangular frame containing a cross-like inner element. Clerical script (隶书) squared the frame and fixed the modern stroke inventory, which 楷书 inherits: a top 十, an enclosing frame, and the inner 羊-like component.
How the meaning evolved
The link from the instrument to the cardinal direction is debated. One view is that the instrument originated in the south and the name of the object transferred to the region; another is that 南 was borrowed phonetically for south and the original musical sense was lost. In modern Mandarin only the directional meaning remains productive.
Cultural note
The ancient instrument sense survives in the compound 南 within certain classical names and in 指南 (to point south, hence to guide), referring to the south-pointing chariot and later the compass, which Chinese tradition aligns to the south rather than the north.
Basic info
Example sentences
Words containing 南
On the new HSK 3 exam
Studying for HSK 3? Keep 南 with the rest of your level.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.