北ほく米べい

ほ

く

べ

い

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

North America

A common geographic and business/media term for North America. In context it often especially refers to the North American market or region, such as the United States and Canada.

Usage patterns

北ほく米べい〈市し場じょう〉に進しん出しゅつするto expand into the North American market
その企き業ぎょうは来らい年ねん、北ほく米べい市し場じょうに進しん出しゅつする予よ定ていだ。
The company plans to expand into the North American market next year.
北ほく米べいで〈物もの〉が発はつ売ばいされるfor something to be released/put on sale in North America
新しん型がたモデルはまず北ほく米べいで発はつ売ばいされる。
The new model will first go on sale in North America.

Kanji

北north
米rice, USA, metre

Related words

北きたアメリカN3
北米 is the compact, Sino-Japanese term favored in news and business, while 北アメリカ is the more literal, everyday geographic name for the same continent.

Opposites

南なん米べいN2
北米 refers to North America, while 南米 refers to South America, its natural geographic counterpart.
中ちゅう南なん米べいN3
中南米 covers Central and South America, whereas 北米 refers to North America (the US, Canada, and Mexico).

Don't confuse with

米べい国こく
米国 means specifically the United States, whereas 北米 is the broader region that includes the U.S., Canada, and sometimes Mexico.

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese compound: 北 means 'north', and 米 is a conventional kanji abbreviation associated with America in compounds such as 米国. Together 北米 means 'North America'.