JLPT N5 · 5 strokes
Kanji 北: "north"
The kanji 北 means "north". It is written with 5 strokes and belongs to JLPT level N5, read ホク in on'yomi and きた in kun'yomi.
Stroke order
Strokes are written in the order of the numbers. The order is not decorative: it is what gives the character its balance, and it is also how handwriting search works in Japanese dictionaries.
Readings
On'yomi (Sino-Japanese reading)
ホク
Kun'yomi (native Japanese reading)
きた
In a kun'yomi reading, the dot separates the kanji from its okurigana: かた.る is read かたる and written 語る. A hyphen marks a bound position, like -び in 日.
At a glance
| Meaning | north |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 5 |
| JLPT level | N5 |
| Taught in Japan | grade 2 |
| Frequency rank | 153 of 2,501 |
Common words with 北
The most frequent words using this kanji, most common first, with furigana readings. Click one to open it in the reader.
- 北north · the North; northern territories
- 敗北defeat; loss; reverse; setback
- 北海道Hokkaido (island, prefectural-level administrative unit)
- 北部northern part; the north (of a region)
- 北方the north; northward; northern direction · northern part (e.g. of a country); northern district
- 北側north side; north bank
- 東北north-east · Tōhoku (northernmost six prefectures of Honshu); Tohoku
- 北西northwest
- 北東northeast
- 北上going north
- 南北north and south; north to south · South Korea and North Korea
- 敗北感sense of defeat
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