noreste
“noreste” means “northeast” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
northeast
Also: the Northeast
📝 In Action
El barco navega hacia el noreste.
A2The boat is sailing toward the northeast.
La tormenta entrará por el noreste de la península.
B1The storm will enter through the northeast of the peninsula.
El noreste de Brasil es famoso por sus hermosas playas.
B1The northeast of Brazil is famous for its beautiful beaches.
northeastern
📝 In Action
Visitamos la costa noreste de la isla.
B1We visited the northeastern coast of the island.
El viento noreste es muy frío hoy.
B2The northeasterly wind is very cold today.
Buscamos una zona noreste para construir la casa.
B2We are looking for a northeastern area to build the house.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: noreste
Question 1 of 3
Which of these is the correct way to say 'the northeast'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
A compound word created by joining 'norte' (north) and 'este' (east), following the standard way of naming intermediate compass points.
First recorded: 16th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
When should I capitalize 'noreste'?
You only capitalize it if it's part of a proper name (like 'el Noreste de México' as a specific political region) or at the start of a sentence. For general directions, keep it lowercase.
Does 'noreste' change for plural nouns?
Yes, if you are using it as an adjective, it becomes 'norestes' (e.g., 'los vientos norestes'), although it is much more common to use it in the singular or as part of a phrase like 'del noreste'.
What is the difference between 'noreste' and 'nordeste'?
There is no difference in meaning. 'Noreste' is more common in some regions, while 'nordeste' is preferred in others (like the Caribbean or parts of Spain), but both are perfectly acceptable.