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.
这个句子里的东让意思更清楚。
The 东 in this sentence makes the meaning clearer.
老师让我们用东 / 南 / 西 / 北再说一个例子。
The teacher asked us to make another example with 东 / 南 / 西 / 北.
如果不用东，句子的重点会不一样。
Without 东, the sentence focus would be different.
学习东 / 南 / 西 / 北以后，阅读长句更容易。
After learning 东 / 南 / 西 / 北, reading longer sentences becomes easier.
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.
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Targeted drill
Practice this exact pattern before moving on.
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