--- title: "🌅 East in Spanish: Cardinal points and how to talk about locations in Spanish" description: Learn how to say east in Spanish, discover all the Spanish cardinal points, and practise describing locations with clear examples, translations, cultural tips and a fun multiple-choice quiz. --- [SoyGuiri Blog](https://blog.soyguiri.com) # [🌅 East in Spanish: Cardinal points and how to talk about locations in Spanish](https://blog.soyguiri.com/east-in-spanish) Written by [Mónica Jiménez](https://blog.soyguiri.com/author/mónica-jiménez) | Dec 1, 2025, 9:00:00 AM If you want to sound confident when travelling around Spain 🇪🇸, asking for directions 🧭, describing where cities and countries are 🌍 or simply understanding maps 🗺️, learning how to say **‘east in Spanish’** and the other **Spanish cardinal points** is essential. In this colourful and dynamic guide, you will discover: 🌅  How to say *east* and *west* in Spanish 🧭  All the Spanish cardinal points (and how to pronounce them) ➡️  How to say *northeast*, *northwest*, *southeast* and *southwest* 📍  How to describe locations in Spanish like a native 🌦️  A fun cultural look at how Spaniards use cardinal points 🎉  A final multiple-choice quiz to practise everything This lesson is perfect for travellers, beginners, intermediate learners and anyone who wants to build clear, practical **directions in Spanish vocabulary**. ## 🌍 What is the Spanish word for *east*? The Spanish word for **east** is **este** 🌅. 👉 *El sol sale por el **este**.* *The sun rises in the east.* 👉 *Valencia está en el **este** de España.* *Valencia is in the east of Spain.* 📣 **Pronunciation:** EH-steh Quick tip: it sounds almost like the English word *‘estate’* but without the final *-ate*. ## 🌇 What is Spanish for *east and west*? To talk about these two directions, remember: 🌅 **este** – east 🌇 **oeste** – west 👉 *Portugal está al **oeste** de España.* *Portugal is west of Spain.* 👉 *Italia está al **este** de España.* *Italy is east of Spain.* These two words are extremely common in Spanish travel conversations ✈️, maps 🗺️ and weather reports 🌦️. ## 🧭 The four main cardinal points in Spanish Here are the essential Spanish cardinal points: ❄️ **norte** – north 🔥 **sur** – south 🌅 **este** – east 🌇 **oeste** – west   Examples: 👉 ❄️ *Francia está al **norte** de España.* *France is north of Spain.*   👉 🔥 *Marruecos está al **sur** de España.* *Morocco is south of Spain.*   *👉 Italia está al **este** de España. Italy is east of Spain.*   👉 🌇 *Galicia está en el **oeste** del país.* *Galicia is in the west of the country.*   These are a must if you want to talk about **geography vocabulary in Spanish**. ## 🧭 How to say ‘northeast’ in Spanish (and more!) Spanish also has combined directions, just like English. 👉 ❄️➡️🌅 **noreste** (or **nordeste**) – northeast 👉 ❄️⬅️🌇 **noroeste** – northwest 👉 🔥➡️🌅 **sureste** – southeast 👉 🔥⬅️🌇 **suroeste** – southwest   Examples: 👉 *Barcelona está en el **noreste** de España.* *Barcelona is in the northeast of Spain.* 👉 *Las Islas Canarias están en el **suroeste** del mapa.* *The Canary Islands are in the southwest of the map.* 👉 *Galicia está en el **noroeste** de España.* *Galicia is in the northwest of Spain.* Great for **Spanish geographical words** and travel descriptions. ## 🌐 How to describe locations in Spanish (super easy formula) Use this simple and very natural structure: 👉 **\[Lugar\] + está + al / en el + \[punto cardinal\] + de + \[otro lugar\]** Spanish normally uses *está* for these sentences. Examples: 👉 📍 *Madrid está en el **centro** de España.* *Madrid is in the centre of Spain.* 👉 📍 *Bilbao está al **norte** de Madrid.* *Bilbao is north of Madrid.* 👉 📍 *México está al **sur** de Estados Unidos.* *Mexico is south of the United States.* 👉 📍 *Japón está al **este** de China.* *Japan is east of China.* Ideal for mastering **directions in Spanish vocabulary**. ## 🇪🇸✨ Mini cultural section: how Spaniards use cardinal points In Spain, the cardinal points aren’t just geographical… they also describe culture, personality, climate and lifestyle ⚡. 🌬️ **El norte** Cooler, rainy, green landscapes (Galicia, Asturias, País Vasco). People are sometimes described as *más reservados* (more reserved). ☀️ **El sur** Sunny, warm, lively (Andalucía). People are often described as *más alegres y abiertos* (more cheerful and open). 🌊 **El este** The Mediterranean area (Valencia, Cataluña). Known for beaches, tourism and paella 🍤. 🌄 **El oeste** More rural and mountainous areas (Extremadura). Famous for nature, traditions and peaceful villages. This helps learners understand Spain geographically *and* culturally 🌍✨. ## 🌍 Real geography examples using Spanish cardinal points 👉 *España está en el **suroeste** de Europa.* *Spain is in the southwest of Europe.* 👉 *Argentina está en el **sur** de América del Sur.* *Argentina is in the south of South America.* 👉 *Noruega está en el **norte** de Europa.* *Norway is in the north of Europe.* 👉 *Alemania está al **este** de Francia.* *Germany is east of France.* ## 🎯 Practise what you’ve learned! Test your knowledge with this short multiple-choice quiz 👇 1️⃣ What is the Spanish word for 'east'? C) este B) oeste A) norte 2️⃣ What is the Spanish word for 'west'? A) oeste B) este C) sur 3️⃣ What does 'noreste' mean? B) northeast A) northwest C) southwest 4️⃣ How do you say 'south' in Spanish? B) sur A) este C) norte 5️⃣ What does "España está en el suroeste de Europa" mean? B) Spain is in the southwest of Europe. A) Spain is in the southeast of Europe. C) Spain is in the east of Europe. 6️⃣ What is 'north' in Spanish? B) norte A) noreste C) sur 7️⃣ How do you say 'northwest' in Spanish? B) noroeste A) suroeste C) noreste 8️⃣ What does "Japón está al este de China" mean? A) Japan is east of China. B) Japan is west of China. C) Japan is north of China. 9️⃣ How do you say 'southeast' in Spanish? B) sureste A) noreste C) noroeste 🔟 What does "México está al sur de Estados Unidos" mean? A) Mexico is south of the United States. B) Mexico is east of the United States. C) Mexico is north of the United States. ✅ Check Answers   ### 💬 Your turn! #### Write one sentence in Spanish describing where your city or country is using *norte, sur, este, oeste, noreste, noroeste, sureste* or *suroeste*. #### Share it in the comments and practise your new vocabulary! 🌍🇪🇸 [View full post](https://blog.soyguiri.com/east-in-spanish) ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Mónica Jiménez" }, "dateModified" : "2025-12-01T09:00:00.919Z", "datePublished" : "2025-12-01T09:00:00Z", "headline" : "🌅 East in Spanish: Cardinal points and how to talk about locations in Spanish", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 627, "url" : "https://144185739.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/144185739/Imagen%20-%20Post%20-%203%20best%20ways%20%2820%29.png", "width" : 1200 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://blog.soyguiri.com/east-in-spanish", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 60, "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png", "width" : 60 }, "name" : "SoyGuiri Blog" } } ```