Meaning

Primary

South Africa

Alternative

Southern Africa

Word Type

noun, proper noun

Explanation

This combines south and アフリカ, the word for "Africa." Put them together to get South Africa.

南アフリカ will almost always mean the country of South Africa, but in some contexts it'll occasionally refer to the wider region of Southern Africa.

Reading

みなみあふりか
  • Miyuki
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)
みなみアフリカ
  • Miyuki
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

The reading uses the kun'yomi for , which you've already learned. Yay for geography! Now which continent was South Africa on again…?

Context

Common Word Combinations

  • 南アフリカ人

    South African

    南アフリカそだち

    raised in South Africa

    南アフリカ生まれ

    born in South Africa

Context Sentences

南アフリカではラグビーがとても人気です。

Rugby is very popular in South Africa.

南アフリカに行ったら、ライオンが見たいです。

If I go to South Africa, I want to see lions.

イーロン・マスクは南アフリカのプレトリアで生まれました。

Elon Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa.

バックパッカーをしていた時、ヒッチハイクで南アフリカの国々をまわりました。

When I was backpacking, I traveled around the countries of Southern Africa by hitchhiking.

Kanji Composition