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北

north

JLPT N5 Grade 2 5 strokes
Kun'yomi
きた
On'yomi
ホク

北 means "north". It is a JLPT N5 kanji written in 5 strokes. It is read きた in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and ホク in compounds (on'yomi). Japanese schoolchildren learn it in grade 2.

Example word

北海道ほっかいどう

Hokkaido

北 in example sentences

  • 北きたって、どっち？

    Kita tte, dotchi?

    Which direction is north?

  • 北京ぺきんは中国ちゅうごくの首都しゅとだ。

    Pekin wa chuugoku no shuto da.

    Beijing is the capital of China.

  • バスは北きたへ向むかっていた。

    Basu wa kita e mukatte ita.

    The bus was heading north.

Example sentences from the Tatoeba Project, licensed CC-BY 2.0 FR.

Stroke order & writing

Want more? Practice writing from memory. Stroke-order and animation sources are on our credits page.

Words that use 北

Common questions

What does the kanji 北 mean?
北 means "north". It is a JLPT N5 kanji.
How many strokes does 北 have?
北 is written in 5 strokes.
How is 北 read?
It is read きた in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and ホク in compounds (on'yomi).
What JLPT level is 北?
北 is a JLPT N5 kanji.
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