北

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 北海道は日本の北にあります。▶ —
   Hokkaido is in the north of Japan.
2. 北風が強いです。▶ —
   The north wind is strong.

Collocations

Mnemonic

北 kita — in a Japan stretched long from north to south, direction nouns stay alive in daily speech. 北海道 is "North-Sea Road"; a city's station parts meeting points into 北口, 南口, 東口, 西口. Shifted into the onyomi ほく, 北極 and 北部 share one root. The kanji 北 once pictured two people back-to-back — so "turning the back," defeat, survives in 敗北. Kanji-reading kin: 北 reads Korean 'buk', Mandarin běi.

Quick check

1. Why does 敗北 (defeat) end with the kanji for "north"?

   • Original 北 pictured two people back-to-back → turning the back → fleeing / defeat
   • Many battles were lost in the north
   • The North Pole is fearsome
   • Phonetic coincidence