also: みなみかぜ · はえ
south wind; southerly wind
Standard term for wind blowing from the south. The reading みなみかぜ is everyday; なんぷう is more formal or literary.
A strong south wind is blowing today.
Birds migrated riding the southerly wind.
Archaic poetic usage; 南風 was used as a seasonal word for summer in classical Japanese poetry (waka). Not used in modern prose.
In classical poetry, 南風 is sometimes used as a seasonal word for summer.
West wind; also read せいふう in formal contexts.
北風 blows from the north and is associated with cold winter weather, while 南風 blows from the south and is usually warm and humid.
Most common reading and spelling for 'south wind' in modern Japanese.
Sino-Japanese reading; used in formal or literary contexts, such as weather forecasts or poetry.
Archaic or dialectal reading; rarely encountered in modern standard Japanese.
Compound of 南 (south) and 風 (wind). The reading みなみかぜ is the native Japanese reading, while なんぷう is the Sino-Japanese reading. The archaic reading はえ is of uncertain origin, possibly a dialectal or old poetic form.