Cardinal Direction Nouns
Learn Cardinal Direction Nouns with practical HSK 3 examples, focus vocabulary, common pitfalls, and targeted cloze practice.
Pattern
东 / 南 / 西 / 北
Use this HSK 3 pattern to make sentence structure, scope, or emphasis explicit instead of relying on word-for-word English order.
学校在公园东边。
When to use Cardinal Direction Nouns
Read 东 / 南 / 西 / 北 as a sentence tool, not just as vocabulary. First locate the main action or claim, then ask what 东 adds to it.
医院在路东边。
The hospital is on the east side of the road.
风从东边来。
The wind comes from the east.
Common traps
- Do not translate 东 / 南 / 西 / 北 mechanically from English; check the Chinese word order first.
- Keep 东 close to the part of the sentence it controls.
- Do not overuse the pattern in every sentence; use it when it adds a clear role.
Targeted drill
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