01
der Süden
south
One of the four main compass directions, opposite north.
example
Unser Garten ist nach Süden ausgerichtet und bekommt viel Sonne.
Our garden faces south and gets a lot of sun.
der Süden
south
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 03
Usage tips
Word family
'Der Süden' (the south) belongs to a word family. Derived from it are the adjective 'südlich' (southern) and the prefix 'Süd-' in many compound words such as 'Süddeutschland' (southern Germany) or 'Südfrüchte' (tropical fruits).
EXAMPLE
Die südliche Küste ist besonders bei Touristen beliebt.
The southern coast is especially popular with tourists.
Direction or place?
The preposition changes depending on usage: 'nach Süden' describes the pure compass direction. 'In den Süden' describes movement into a southern region. 'Im Süden' describes being in that region.
EXAMPLE
Die Vögel fliegen im Herbst nach Süden.
The birds fly south in autumn.
Cultural context
In German usage, 'der Süden' (the south) often has positive associations and is connected with vacation, sun, warmth, and a relaxed way of life. It usually refers to the Mediterranean region.
EXAMPLE
Ich sehne mich nach Sonne und fahre über Ostern in den Süden.
I'm longing for sun and am going south over Easter.
Fixed term
The term 'der globale Süden' (the Global South) is a fixed socioeconomic term. It is used in discussions about politics, economics, and global inequality and should not be confused with the geographical meaning.
EXAMPLE
In der Konferenz wurde über die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung des globalen Südens diskutiert.
At the conference, they discussed the economic development of the Global South.
Compare with
Süden vs Osten
east
'der Osten' and 'der Süden' are both cardinal directions and can also refer to regions. 'der Osten' means the direction in which the sun rises, or the eastern part of an area. 'der Süden' is opposite north and often means the southern part of a country or region. The words can be confused because they are used similarly on maps, in travel contexts, and in weather reports. On a normal map, east is more to the right, while south is more toward the bottom.
Süden
Im Sommer fahren viele Familien in den Süden, weil es dort wärmer ist.
In summer, many families travel south because it is warmer there.
Osten
Der Osten der Stadt ist heute wegen einer Baustelle schwer zu erreichen.
The east of the city is hard to reach today because of a construction site.
In real life
Loading video examples...