Oriente, este and levante all mean east?

Question

There must be a time and place to use them. How do you know when?

Answer 1

In Spain people use "levante" a lot when talking about the direction of the wind (and the name of the wind too), especially on the coasts. It also refers to the east region of Spain.

The word "oriente", although it can be used as a cardinal point, it is like Orient in English: for Asia and some closer areas to the east-south of Europe. This word is related to "orientation": to determine the bearing.

Ah ok. Very clear. thank you - dewclaw, Aug 11, 2011

Answer 2

Oriente and este are nouns for east. I never heard levante used for east and when I looked it up it seems to refer to some specific regions:

levante (geography) -> = the coastal provinces of Spain between Catalonia and Andalusia: Castellón, Valencia, Alicante and Murcia

Oriental is the common adjective for east as in Las sierra madres occidentales. Este is the east side of something, like el este lado de Nueve York.

muchas gracias! - dewclaw, Aug 11, 2011