東南

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 東南 is a noun read とうなん, meaning southeast, the direction between east and south.
• Basic usage: Use 東南に for a location southeast of a reference point and 東南の方角へ for movement in a southeasterly direction.
  • 村の東南に低い丘が広がっている。 says that low hills extend southeast of the village; 船は島から東南の方角へ進んだ。 describes a boat proceeding southeast from the island.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 村の東南に
  • 村の establishes the village as the reference point, and に marks the direction and location of the hills.
• 東南の方角へ
  • へ marks the direction in which the boat moved, while 島から separately identifies its starting point.
• 東南 and 東・南
  • 東南 names one direction between east and south; it is not a list of two separate directions.