Japanese kanji 北: north, readings and words

The idea

北 has 5 strokes. Follow the linked stroke-order diagram. 北 is read きた and means north; 北口 is read きたぐち and means north exit. 北風 is read きたかぜ: north wind.

Examples

• 私わたしは北きたへ行いきます。I go north.
• 北きたに山やまが見みえます。I can see a mountain to the north.
• 駅えきの北きたに公園こうえんがあります。There is a park north of the station.
• 北口きたぐちで会あいましょう。Let’s meet at the north exit.
• 今日きょうは北風きたかぜが強つよいです。The north wind is strong today.
• 北きたと南みなみは反対はんたいです。North and south are opposite directions.

Watch out

Compare 北 with 比; notice their different parts and strokes rather than guessing from the overall shape. 北 and 南 are compass directions, not the relative directions 右 and 左. An exit name such as 北口 or 南口 uses the direction before 口.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 北 in hiragana.

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   きた

   北 is read きた; it means north. Remember the reading with the whole word.

2. Write the reading of 北口 in hiragana.

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   きたぐち

   北口 is read きたぐち; it means north exit. Remember the reading with the whole word.

3. Write きたかぜ in kanji for “north wind”.

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   北風

   北風 is written with 北 and read きたかぜ; it means north wind.

Use it today

Write 北 three times using the linked stroke order. Cover the table, read 北 and 北口, and make a sentence with one of them.