西北

• 拼音: xī běi
• 汉字拆解: 西 = pictograph of a bird's nest (west is where the sun sets and birds roost); 北 = two people back to back (originally meant 'back,' later 'north')

含义

Northwest. A cardinal direction referring to the area between west and north.

Used for geographical directions, regions, and locations. In China, 西北 commonly refers to the northwest region of the country, including provinces like Gansu, Xinjiang, and Qinghai. Also used in everyday directional speech.

例句

1. 风从西北方向吹过来。
2. 中国的西北有很多沙漠。
3. 我们学校在城市的西北边。

用法指南

语境: directions, geography, travel

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 往西北方向走五分钟就到了。(Walk northwest for five minutes and you'll be there.)
• 西北风很冷。(The northwest wind is very cold.)

错误说法

• 把西北和东北搞混 (Don't confuse 西北 northwest with 东北 northeast — 西 means west, 东 means east)

起源与历史

西 (xī, west) + 北 (běi, north). A straightforward compound of two directional characters.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal