西南
xī nán · HSK 2
southwest
🧭 西南 = 西 (west) + 南 (south) = southwest
Chinese compound directions stack the two cardinals: 西 west + 南 south = southwest. Mandarin orders these as west-south, the mirror of English southwest.
西 — top 覀 (cover) + bottom 儿 (legs); originally a bird in nest
Originally a pictograph of a bird settling into its nest at dusk. Because birds return to roost when the sun sets in the west, the character was borrowed to mean 'west.' The original 'nest' meaning was later written with 棲/栖.
南 — 十 ten + 冂 enclosure + 丷 + 干
Originally a pictograph of a bronze bell or musical instrument hung on a frame, used in southern regional rites. Through phonetic loan, the character came to mean 'south' — the direction one faces when seated as ruler in ancient China. The original 'bell' meaning was lost.