北

• Pinyin: běi
• Hanzi breakdown: 北 = pictograph of two people sitting back to back — 'the direction behind you'

Meaning

North. One of the four cardinal directions.

Used to indicate the northern direction or the northern part of a place. Often combined with other characters: 北边 (north side), 北方 (the North, northern region), 北京 (Beijing, literally 'northern capital'). In Chinese geography, 'the North' generally refers to areas north of the Yangtze River.

Examples

1. 学校在我家北边。 The school is to the north of my home.
2. 风从北边吹来。 The wind is blowing from the north.
3. 往北走就到了。 Go north and you'll be there.

Usage Guide

Context: direction, geography

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 公园在北边。(The park is to the north.)
• 你往北走。(Go north.)

Don't Say

• 去北 without a destination or direction word (Don't say 去北 alone — say 往北走 or 去北边)

Origin & History

A pictograph showing two people sitting back to back. The original meaning was 'back' (as in turning one's back). Since people in the Northern Hemisphere face south toward the sun, the direction behind them became 'north'.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal