59
北
North
きた (kita)
JLPT N5
Interesting Fact
Did you know? Before 北 meant "north," it meant "turning your back on someone." The kanji originally showed two people standing facing opposite direction. And ancient East Asian houses were usually built facing south to get more sunlight, so the back of the house pointed north. Over time, this "turning your back" kanji gradually became the kanji for north.
Memory Trick
Imagine two friends having a huge argument. They turn their backs on each other. Things didn't go south—Things went "North."
Readings
Onyomi: ホク (hoku)
Kunyomi: きた (kita)
Example Words
北
きた (kita)
North
北口
きたぐち (kitaguchi)
North exit
北海道
ほっかいどう (hokkaidou)
Hokkaido
北米
ほくべい (hokubei)
North America
Example Sentence
北の空に雲があります。
きた の そら に くも が あります。
kita no sora ni kumo ga arimasu
There are clouds in the northern sky.