southeast
southeast — noun
1. the compass point located halfway along the arc that runs from south around to e
the compass point located halfway along the arc that runs from south around to east, or the general area lying in that direction.
The wind shifted and began blowing from the southeast just before the storm hit.
from the southeast — direction of origin
Linh checked her compass and turned to face the southeast before continuing.
the southeast — specific compass point
The map shows that the nearest town lies about thirty kilometres to the southeast.
The ancient temple lies to the southeast of the old city walls.
- southeastward
used as a noun only in very formal or technical contexts
- SE
abbreviation used on maps and in coordinates
- northwest
the opposite compass point, halfway between north and west
文法句型
the southeast
from the southeast
toward the southeast
用法筆記
In directional use, the phrase 'the southeast' behaves like a proper place — it nearly always takes the definite article. 'To the southeast' indicates relative position; 'from the southeast' indicates origin of movement or wind.
常見錯誤
2. the area within a nation, state, or urban centre that is positioned in the south
the area within a nation, state, or urban centre that is positioned in the southeastern portion.
The southeast of France is famous for its lavender fields and sunny weather.
the southeast of [country] — regional reference
Felix moved to the southeast of the city because the rent was lower there.
The Southeast has a different culture from the rest of the country.
Lara comes from the southeast of Taiwan, where the mountains meet the sea.
- southeastern part
more explicit; used in formal or written descriptions
- south-east
British English hyphenated spelling
- northwest
opposite part of a region
文法句型
the southeast of [place]
in the southeast
from the southeast
用法筆記
When used as a proper regional name (e.g. 'the Southeast' of the US), the word is often capitalised. As a descriptive area within a single city or smaller region, it is usually lowercase.
常見錯誤
southeast — adjective
1. located in, facing, or moving toward the southeast.
located in, facing, or moving toward the southeast.
The southeast wall of the old castle collapsed during the heavy rain.
southeast + noun — location of a specific place
Tunde took the southeast path up the mountain because it was less steep.
The hotel's southeast balcony offers a beautiful view of the harbour at sunset.
The southeast corner of the garden gets the best sunlight in the morning.
- southeastern
more common for describing large regions; southeast is preferred for specific features like walls, corners, doors
- south-easterly
British English term, especially for direction of travel or wind
- northwest
opposite direction for a location or facing
文法句型
southeast + noun
the southeast + noun
用法筆記
This sense is always used before a noun. It cannot be used predicatively — you would not say 'the wall is southeast'.
常見錯誤
2. describes a wind that blows from the southeast toward the speaker or a location.
describes a wind that blows from the southeast toward the speaker or a location.
A warm southeast wind blew across the fields, drying the crops after the rain.
southeast wind — describes the origin of the wind
The fishermen stayed in port because a strong southeast gale was forecast for the afternoon.
southeast gale — strong wind from the southeast
Tariq felt the cool southeast breeze as he sat on the beach reading a book.
A steady southeast breeze helped the sailboat reach the harbour before dark.
- south-easterly
preferred in British English weather reports
- northwest
a wind coming from the opposite direction
文法句型
southeast wind
southeast breeze
southeast gale
用法筆記
This sense is used exclusively with wind-related nouns — 'wind', 'breeze', 'gale', 'gust'. The direction describes where the wind originates, not where it is going.
常見錯誤
southeast — adverb
1. moving, facing, or situated in the direction halfway between south and east.
moving, facing, or situated in the direction halfway between south and east.
The river winds southeast through the valley before joining the larger river.
verb + southeast — direction of movement without article
Henry told the taxi driver to head southeast along the highway for about twenty minutes.
head southeast — common travel phrase
If you walk southeast from the station, you will find the market in ten minutes.
After leaving the village, the travellers continued southeast along the riverbank.
- southeastwards
chiefly British English variant with the same meaning
- south-easterly
used adverbially in navigation and meteorology
- northwest
in the opposite direction
文法句型
go southeast
head southeast
fly southeast
travel southeast
用法筆記
Unlike the noun form ('to the southeast'), the adverb 'southeast' is used directly after verbs of movement without a preposition or article. Compare: 'They drove southeast' (adverb) vs. 'They drove to the southeast' (noun phrase).