北きたの方かた

also: きたのほう

き

た

の

か

た

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

north; northern direction

Refers to the direction north or the northern area. The reading きたのほう is also used but less common.

駅えきの北きたの方かたに公こう園えんがあります。
There is a park to the north of the station.

2

noun

wife of a nobleman; lady

honorific or respectful (sonkeigo)

historical term

Only with reading きたのかた

Historical honorific term for the legal wife of a high-ranking noble, especially in the Heian period. Only read きたのかた.

源げん氏じ物もの語がたりでは、北きたの方かたが重じゅう要ような役やく割わりを果はたす。
In The Tale of Genji, the lady of the north plays an important role.

Written forms

北の方Usage100%
- きたのかた
  Standard kanji spelling for both the directional and historical honorific senses.
- きたのほう
  Alternate reading for the directional sense; きたのかた is more common.
きたのほう

Kanji

北north
方direction, person, alternative

Similar words

北きた
Simply means 'north'; 北の方 is more specific, meaning 'the northern direction' or 'the north side'.
奥おく方がた
A respectful term for a wife, but not limited to historical contexts; 北の方 is specifically a historical term for a nobleman's wife.

Etymology

Literally 'the direction of the north' or 'the person of the north'. The historical sense comes from the Heian-period custom of referring to a nobleman's principal wife by the location of her residence, which was often in the northern part of the mansion.