Onyomi: ホク · Kunyomi: きた · Meanings: north
Kanji for north
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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.
Two people sitting back-to-back — 北 shows the idea of turning away, linked to the cold direction of the north.
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.
| 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 |