北 meaning and stroke order
North; (classical) to be defeated
How to write 北, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 北
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- north
- (classical) to be defeated
How 北 is built
Pictographic character. Two people 匕 sitting back-to-back; phonetic loan for "north".
Radical: 匕 (spoon), shared by 4 characters on this site.
How to remember 北
北 shows two people sitting back to back, with 匕 on the right as one of them. Picture two friends turning their backs on the cold north wind, and you have 北 (běi), north.
北 is mostly used inside words like 北方 (běifāng, the north) and 北京 (Běijīng, Beijing). When combining directions, Chinese puts 东 or 西 first, so northeast is 东北 (dōngběi) and northwest is 西北 (xīběi). Example: 我住在北京。(Wǒ zhù zài Běijīng.) I live in Beijing.
Common mistake: Learners often say 北东 for northeast because of the English word order, but the correct word is 东北 (dōngběi). Also watch the left half: it is two horizontal strokes and a rising stroke, not 土 or 匕 repeated.
Common words with 北
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 北京 | Běijīng | Beijing municipality, capital of the People's Republic of China (short name 京[Jing1]) | HSK 1 |
| 北边 | běibian | north; north side | HSK 1 |
| 北方 | běifāng | north; the northern part a country | HSK 2 |
| 西北 | xīběi | northwest | HSK 2 |
| 东北 | dōngběi | northeast | HSK 2 |
| 北部 | běibù | northern part | HSK 3 |
| 北极 | běijí | the North Pole; the north magnetic pole | HSK 5 |
| 南北 | nánběi | north and south; north to south | HSK 5 |
| 北极熊 | běijíxióng | polar bear | |
| 北面 | běimiàn | northern side; north | |
| 北上 | běishàng | to go up north | |
| 以北 | yǐběi | to the north of (suffix) | |
| 北极光 | běijíguāng | northern lights; aurora borealis | |
| 北方佬 | běifānglǎo | northerner; guy from the north |
北 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 北
Learning 北 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 北
How many strokes are in 北?
北 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 北 mean?
北 (běi) means north; (classical) to be defeated. A common word with it is 北京 (Běijīng), meaning "Beijing municipality, capital of the People's Republic of China (short name 京[Jing1])".
How do you pronounce 北?
北 is pronounced běi, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 北?
The radical of 北 is 匕, which carries the idea of "spoon". Dictionaries list 北 under this radical.
Is 北 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 北 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
Why does 北 also mean to be defeated?
In classical Chinese, 北 could mean to turn your back and flee, so 败北 (bàiběi) means to suffer defeat. You will still see 败北 in sports news today.
How do I say north side or to the north of something?
Use 北边 (běibian) or 北面 (běimiàn) after a place, for example 学校北边 (xuéxiào běibian), north of the school. 北部 (běibù) is used for the northern part of a large area like a country.