北 – JLPT N5 Kanji, Kanji for north | Meaning, Readings & Stroke Order

北

Strokes: 5

Meanings: north
Onyomi: ホク
Kunyomi: きた
Name Readings: きら, ほう, ほっ, ほつ
JLPT: N5
Grade: 2
Frequency: -
Kanji Writing Practice: Practice

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Story

The kanji 北 was originally drawn as two people sitting back-to-back. In ancient times, it symbolized “to turn away” or “to face opposite directions.” Later, people connected it with the north — because in the north, the cold winds blow, and people would turn their backs to protect themselves. So 北 came to mean “north,” the direction opposite to warmth and sunlight.

Short Story

Two people sitting back-to-back — 北 shows the idea of turning away, linked to the cold direction of the north.

Mnemonic

Imagine two people standing back-to-back, shivering from the cold wind — they’re facing away from the warmth of the south. That’s 北, the kanji for north, the chilly direction opposite the sun.

Vocabulary Examples

Word	Reading	Meaning	Meta
北	きた	north	common JLPT-N5 Noun
北	ペー	north wind tile	Noun
北極	ほっきょく	North Pole	common JLPT-N2 Noun
北海道	ほっかいどう	Hokkaido (island, prefectural-level administrative unit)	common Noun
北極圏	ほっきょくけん	Arctic Circle, the Arctic	common Noun
北上	ほくじょう	going north	common Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb
北欧	ほくおう	Northern Europe, Nordic countries, Scandinavia	common Noun
北海	ほっかい	northern sea	common Noun
北方	ほっぽう	the north, northward, northern direction	common Noun, Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
北風	きたかぜ	north wind, northerly wind	common Noun

Showing up to 15 entries including the Kanji.

Example Sentences

Example #1

北の空に星が見えます。

きたのそらにほしがみえます

kita no sora ni hoshi ga miemasu

I can see stars in the northern sky.

Example #2

日本の北に北海道があります。

にほんのきたにほっかいどうがあります

nihon no kita ni hokkaidou ga arimasu

Hokkaido is in the north of Japan.

Example #3

北の方はとても寒いです。

きたのほうはとてもさむいです

kita no hou wa totemo samui desu

It’s very cold in the north.

Example #4

北風が強いです。

きたかぜがつよいです

kitakaze ga tsuyoi desu

The north wind is strong.

Example #5

北口で会いましょう。

きたぐちであいましょう

kitaguchi de aimashou

Let’s meet at the north exit.

Example #6

北の町に友だちがいます。

きたのまちにともだちがいます

kita no machi ni tomodachi ga imasu

I have a friend in the northern town.

Example #7

北の国は寒いです。

きたのくにはさむいです

kita no kuni wa samui desu

Northern countries are cold.

Example #8

家の北に公園があります。

いえのきたにこうえんがあります

ie no kita ni kouen ga arimasu

There’s a park to the north of my house.

Example #9

北の空は暗いです。

きたのそらはくらいです

kita no sora wa kurai desu

The northern sky is dark.

Example #10

北日本は雪が多いです。

きたにほんはゆきがおおいです

kitanihon wa yuki ga ooi desu

Northern Japan gets a lot of snow.

Example #11

北の山に登りました。

きたのやまにのぼりました

kita no yama ni noborimashita

I climbed a northern mountain.

Example #12

北から風が吹いています。

きたからかぜがふいています

kita kara kaze ga fuite imasu

The wind is blowing from the north.

Example #13

北の方へ行きました。

きたのほうへいきました

kita no hou e ikimashita

I went toward the north.

Example #14

北口の前で待っています。

きたぐちのまえでまっています

kitaguchi no mae de matte imasu

I’m waiting in front of the north exit.

Example #15

北の国へ旅行しました。

きたのくにへりょこうしました

kita no kuni e ryokou shimashita

I traveled to a northern country.

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Kanji Info

Kanji: 北

JLPT: n5

Strokes: 5

Grade: 2

Unicode: 5317

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