南

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 南 is read as みなみ and is a noun for south as a cardinal direction or the area south of a reference point.
• Basic usage: Location appears in 駅の南, while movement toward the direction appears in 南へ向かう.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Location and direction
  • の南 locates something south of a reference point; へ marks movement toward the south.
• Difference from 南側
  • 南 is the direction or southern area, whereas 南側 more specifically means the south side of an object or place.