01
der Südost
southeast
The compass direction that lies exactly between south and east.
example
Der Kompass zeigt genau nach Südost.
The compass points exactly southeast.
der Südost
southeast
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word composition
'Südost' (southeast) is a compound word made from the compass directions 'der Süden' (the south) and 'der Osten' (the east). This pattern applies to all intermediate compass directions, such as 'Nordwest' (northwest) or 'Südwest' (southwest).
EXAMPLE
Die Hütte liegt in Richtung Südost.
The hut lies in a southeasterly direction.
Prepositions & declension
To indicate a direction, you use 'nach Südost' (toward southeast). To describe origin, you say 'aus Südost(en)' (from the southeast). A position in a region is expressed with 'im Südosten' (in the southeast), with the ending -en.
EXAMPLE
Nächstes Jahr reisen wir nach Südost-Asien.
Next year we are traveling to Southeast Asia.
Region vs. direction
When 'Südost' (southeast) describes a geographic region, it often appears with the definite article and a 'von' phrase, e.g. 'der Südosten von Spanien' (the southeast of Spain). As a pure direction, it usually appears without an article after a preposition like 'nach' (toward).
EXAMPLE
Der Südosten des Landes ist für sein mildes Klima bekannt.
The southeast of the country is known for its mild climate.
Compare with
Südost vs Südwest
southwest
'der Südwest' and 'der Südost' both refer to a direction or an area in the south. The important difference is the second direction: 'Südwest' lies between south and west, while 'Südost' lies between south and east. They are easy to confuse because both begin with 'Süd-' and sound similar. So pay attention to the second part of the word: '-west' points toward the west, and '-ost' points toward the east.
Südost
Unsere Reise führt im Sommer in den Südosten Europas.
Our trip will take us to southeastern Europe in the summer.
Südwest
Im Südwesten des Landes gibt es viele Weinberge.
There are many vineyards in the southwest of the country.
In real life
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