北: the kanji for north
北 is a JLPT N5 kanji that means north. Below are its readings, 13 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
北 is written in 5 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
北 has 2 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 13 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
ホク (hoku)
On reading. It often becomes hok- or hop- before other sounds.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 北海道ほっかいどう · Hokkaidō | Hokkaido (Japan's northernmost main island) |
| 東北とうほく · Tōhoku | Tohoku (a region of Japan) |
| 北西ほくせい · hokusei | northwest |
| 北東ほくとう · hokutō | northeast |
| 南北なんぼく · nanboku | north and south |
| 北部ほくぶ · hokubu | the northern part |
| 北米ほくべい · Hokubei | North America |
| 北極ほっきょく · hokkyoku | the North Pole |
| 敗北はいぼく · haiboku | defeat |
きた (kita)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 北きた · kita | north |
| 北口きたぐち · kitaguchi | north exit |
| 北風きたかぜ · kitakaze | north wind |
| 北半球きたはんきゅう · kitahankyū | the Northern Hemisphere |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 北口の改札で待っています。Kitaguchi no kaisatsu de matte imasu.I'll wait at the ticket gate by the north exit.
- 来月、北海道に出張します。Raigetsu, Hokkaidō ni shutchō shimasu.I'm going on a business trip to Hokkaido next month.
- この会社は北米にも支社があります。Kono kaisha wa Hokubei ni mo shisha ga arimasu.This company also has an office in North America.
- 東北の冬はとても寒いです。Tōhoku no fuyu wa totemo samui desu.Winters in Tohoku are very cold.
- 窓は北向きです。Mado wa kitamuki desu.The window faces north.
- 今日は北風が強いです。Kyō wa kitakaze ga tsuyoi desu.The north wind is strong today.
Questions about 北
How many strokes does 北 have?
北 is written in 5 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 北?
The on readings are hoku (ホク). The kun readings are kita (きた).
How do you say the four directions in Japanese?
North is 北 (kita), south is 南 (minami), east is 東 (higashi) and west is 西 (nishi).
What JLPT level is 北?
N5. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N5 is designed to match the former Level 4.
More JLPT N5 kanji
Places and directions
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 北
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.