Inklingo

How to Say "west" in Spanish

English → Spanish

oeste

oh-EHS-teh/oˈeste/

nounA1general
Use 'oeste' when referring to the cardinal direction 'west' where the sun sets or a general geographic area defined by that direction.
A vibrant illustration of a large orange sun setting directly over a flat horizon line, casting warm colors across the sky.

Examples

El sol se pone por el oeste.

The sun sets in the west.

Vamos a viajar al oeste de España.

We are going to travel to the west of Spain.

Para llegar al museo, debes dirigirte hacia el oeste.

To get to the museum, you must head toward the west.

Gender is Always Masculine

All four main directions (norte, sur, este, oeste) are masculine nouns, so you must use 'el' before them when speaking generally: 'el oeste'.

Confusing East and West

Mistake: “Using 'este' when you mean 'oeste'.”

Correction: 'Oeste' is for West (O), like the letter 'O' is round. 'Este' is for East (E).

occidental

ok-see-den-TAHL/ok.si.ðenˈtal/

adjectiveB2general
Use 'occidental' as an adjective to describe something that is located in, coming from, or related to the west, often referring to a specific region or part of a country.
A vibrant orange and yellow sun sinking below a flat blue ocean horizon, illustrating the western direction.

Examples

Las montañas se encuentran en la parte occidental del país.

The mountains are located in the western part of the country.

Estudiamos la historia del arte occidental en la universidad.

We studied the history of Western art at the university.

El viento occidental trae aire fresco desde el mar.

The western wind brings fresh air from the sea.

Adjective Agreement

Since 'occidental' ends in -l, it only changes to match the number (singular or plural) of the noun it describes, not the gender. It's 'el lado occidental' and 'la costa occidental'.

Occidental vs. Oeste

Mistake: “Using 'oeste' as an adjective (e.g., 'la parte oeste').”

Correction: Use 'occidental' as the adjective ('la parte occidental'). 'Oeste' is typically used as a noun for the direction itself.

Noun vs. Adjective

The most common mistake is using the noun 'oeste' when you need the adjective 'occidental'. Remember, 'oeste' is the direction itself (the west), while 'occidental' describes something belonging to or situated in that direction (western).

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