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Kotomora

北

north

JLPTN5StatusJōyō · grade 2FrequencyTop 200Strokes5

Readings

On'yomi

  • ホク

Kun'yomi

  • きた

Nanori

  • きら
  • ほう
  • ほっ
  • ほつ

Meaning

北 centers on the cardinal direction north.

Most common words using 北

24 of 340
  • 北きた
    N5

    north

  • 北海道ほっかいどう
    N5

    Hokkaido (island, prefectural-level administrative unit)

  • 北朝鮮きたちょうせん

    North Korea

  • 東北とうほく

    north-east

  • 北部ほくぶ
    N1

    northern part; the north (of a region)

  • 敗北はいぼく
    N1

    defeat; loss; reverse; setback

  • 北京ペキン

    Beijing (China); Peking

  • 北九州きたきゅうしゅう

    Kitakyushu (city)

  • 北欧ほくおう
    N3

    Northern Europe; Nordic countries; Scandinavia

  • 北米ほくべい

    North America

  • 北陸ほくりく

    Hokuriku region (of Honshu; incl. Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa and Fukui prefectures)

  • 北西ほくせい
    N1

    northwest

  • 南北なんぼく
    N2

    north and south; north to south

  • 北東ほくとう
    N1

    northeast

  • 北側きたがわ

    north side; north bank

  • 北上ほくじょう

    going north

  • 北方ほっぽう

    the north; northward; northern direction

  • 北口きたぐち

    north entrance; north exit

  • 北極ほっきょく
    N3

    North Pole

  • 北緯ほくい

    north latitude

  • 北海ほっかい

    northern sea

  • 北風きたかぜ
    N1

    north wind; northerly wind

  • 北国きたぐに

    northern country

  • 北アイルランドきたアイルランド

    Northern Ireland

Explore all words using 北 →

Study

Etymology

北 originally depicted two people back-to-back, meaning 'back' or 'to turn one's back.' The direction 'north' likely arose from the ancient Chinese custom of facing south, making north the direction behind one's back.

Meaning mnemonic

Picture two people sitting back-to-back, one facing south and the other facing north. The person facing north shows the direction: 北 is north.

Reading mnemonic

For ホク, imagine a hawk flying north: hawk -> ホク, and the bird heads straight toward the cold northern sky.