French · Travel & Getting Around

"South" in French: sud

le sud

Say it: soodmasculine · le sudnoun/syd/

South in French is le sud, masculine. Au sud means to the south. Le sud de la France often means the sunny south.

Holiday plans

On part dans le sud en août.
We're going south in August.
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How to pronounce sud

Say it

sood

/syd/

Sood. Final d is usually silent in careful speech; sounds like soo for many speakers.

"South" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
le sudthe south

Direction and region.

au sudto the south / in the south

Location or movement.

sud desouth of

Before places.

vers le sudtoward the south

Travel.

How to use sud in real life

  1. 1Holiday plans

    On part dans le sud en août.

    We're going south in August.

    Dans le sud.

  2. 2Directions

    Le parking est au sud de la place.

    The parking lot is south of the square.

    Au sud de.

  3. 3Weather map

    Il fait beau dans le sud demain.

    It'll be nice in the south tomorrow.

    Regional weather.

Mistakes English speakers make with sud

Incorrect: La sud est chaud.

Correct: Le sud est chaud.

Sud is masculine.

Incorrect: Au south de Lyon.

Correct: Au sud de Lyon.

Use sud.

Good to know

Le Sud evokes beaches, heat, and summer traffic south from Paris. On signs, S marks sud. Midi can also mean southern France in cultural talk.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Choosing a holiday region

  1. ChatPal

    On vise le sud ou la Bretagne ?

    Are we aiming for the south or Brittany?

  2. You

    Le sud. J'ai besoin de soleil.

    The south. I need sun.

  3. ChatPal

    OK. Une ville au sud, près de la mer.

    OK. A town in the south, near the sea.

  4. You

    Parfait. Je regarde les trains.

    Perfect. I'll check the trains.

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"South" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "South" in French

How do I say south?

Le sud.

How do I say to the south?

Au sud.

How do I say south of Lyon?

Au sud de Lyon.

Is sud masculine?

Yes: le sud.

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