南斗 (Nándǒu): Southern Dipper (Chinese conste…

Meanings

1 Southern Dipper (Chinese constellation, 6 stars in Sagittarius)
2 the southern part of the sky

Characters

南

Examples

古人认为北斗主死，南斗主生。

Gǔrén rènwéi Běidǒu zhǔ sǐ, Nándǒu zhǔ shēng.

The ancients believed the Northern Dipper rules death, while the Southern Dipper rules life.

夏夜可以在南方天空看到南斗六星。

Xià yè kěyǐ zài nánfāng tiānkōng kàn dào Nándǒu liù xīng.

On summer nights you can see the six stars of the Southern Dipper in the southern sky.

Tips

culture

The Southern Dipper (南斗六星) is a 6-star asterism in Sagittarius, the counterpart to the more famous 北斗七星 (Big Dipper). In Daoist tradition, the Southern Dipper governs longevity and life, while the Northern Dipper records death — a pairing famously used in the manga 北斗の拳 (Fist of the North Star).