northeast
northeast — noun
1. the direction shown when a compass needle points to the area between the N and t
the direction shown when a compass needle points to the area between the N and the E mark
The map showed that the nearest town was about ten miles to the northeast.
to the northeast — indicates direction relative to a location
Owen checked his compass and then started walking toward the northeast.
toward the northeast — direction of movement
The cabin faces northeast, so it gets warm sunlight every morning.
A cold wind blew from the northeast throughout the autumn night.
- northeastern direction
a more formal or technical phrase, often used in written reports or navigation
- north-east
hyphenated variant; less common in modern usage
- southwest
the opposite compass direction
文法句型
the + northeast
to the + northeast + of
用法筆記
Often used with the prepositions 'to', 'from', or 'toward' when indicating direction relative to a fixed point.
常見錯誤
2. a section of a larger place such as a nation, city, or region that lies on its n
a section of a larger place such as a nation, city, or region that lies on its northeastern side
Tariq grew up in the northeast of Brazil, near the Atlantic coast.
the northeast of [country] — specifying a region within a place
The northeast of England has many historic castles and green hills.
Sade moved to the northeast of the city because housing costs were lower there.
Salma's family owns a small tea plantation in the northeast of Kenya.
Heavy snowfall in the northeast of the country closed many schools last week.
- northeastern area
emphasizes the geographical zone rather than a defined region
- northeastern part
more precise when referring to a section of a larger area
- southwest
the opposite region
文法句型
the + northeast + of + [place]
用法筆記
Usually preceded by the definite article 'the' and followed by 'of' to specify which region is being discussed. When used as a proper region name (e.g., the Northeast of the US), it is often capitalized.
常見錯誤
northeast — adjective
1. located in, facing, or moving toward the compass point that sits midway from nor
located in, facing, or moving toward the compass point that sits midway from north toward east
The northeast corner of the building has a small balcony with a view.
northeast + noun (corner, side, part, entrance)
Ramón took the northeast path up the mountain during his hike.
Xiu lives in the northeast area of Shanghai, not far from the river.
Christopher parked his car at the northeast entrance of the stadium.
The northeast side of the island is rocky and difficult to reach by boat.
- northeastern
more common for describing regions; 'northeast' is preferred for specific points or corners
- north-easterly
used mainly for winds or directions of travel, often in technical contexts
- southwest
the opposite location or direction
文法句型
northeast + noun
用法筆記
Always placed before a noun to describe a location or direction. Does not appear after linking verbs (e.g., 'The building is northeast' is incorrect in this sense — use the adverb form instead).
常見錯誤
2. describes wind that pushes from the compass point midway from north toward east,
describes wind that pushes from the compass point midway from north toward east, heading southwest
A cold northeast wind kept the fishing boats inside the harbor all day.
northeast wind — wind coming FROM the northeast
The weather report warned of strong northeast winds reaching sixty kilometers per hour.
Sailors prefer a steady northeast wind when heading south toward the open sea.
Northeast winds brought heavy rain to the coastal villages throughout the night.
- northeasterly
a near-synonym; 'northeasterly' can describe winds and general direction, while 'northeast' is more direct about wind origin
- southwest
a wind from the opposite direction
文法句型
northeast + wind/breeze/gale
用法筆記
Only used to describe wind direction. For other weather phenomena like storms or rain, use 'from the northeast' or 'northeasterly' instead.
常見錯誤
northeast — adverb
1. in a direction that is equally far from north and from east on a compass
in a direction that is equally far from north and from east on a compass
Each autumn, these birds fly northeast to reach warmer areas.
verb of motion + northeast — no preposition needed
The hikers walked northeast along the river for nearly three hours.
Élise drove northeast on the highway until she reached the mountain pass.
The storm moved northeast across the ocean during the night.
Ilan glanced northeast and saw the first lights of the approaching city.
- northeastward
a more formal or written variant, often used in navigation
- to the northeast
a prepositional phrase that can replace the adverb, though more wordy
- southwest
movement in the opposite direction
- southwestward
formal variant for the opposite direction
文法句型
[verb of motion] + northeast
用法筆記
Typically follows verbs of motion such as 'go', 'head', 'move', 'travel', 'fly', or 'walk'. Unlike the noun form, no preposition is needed before 'northeast' when used as an adverb.