Meaning of 北边
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- north
- north side
- northern part
- to the north of
How to use 北边
北边 works like other place words such as 左边 (zuǒbian) and 旁边 (pángbiān). It can stand alone or follow a noun to mean north of something. Example: 学校在公园北边。(Xuéxiào zài gōngyuán běibian.) The school is north of the park.
北 (běi) looks like two people sitting back to back, turning away from each other. Add 边 (biān, side) and you get the side you face when your back is to the warm south: 北边, the north side.
Common mistake: Learners often put 北边 before the reference place, as in English "north of the park." In Chinese the place comes first: 公园北边, not 北边公园 for that meaning. Also do not confuse 北 (běi) with 比 (bǐ, compare), which has a similar left and right shape.
北边 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
北 běi · north · 5 strokes
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边 biān · side · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 北边.
| 那边 | nàbiān | over there; yonder |
| 这边 | zhèbiān | this side; here |
| 一边 | yībiān | one side; either side |
| 旁边 | pángbiān | side; adjacent place |
| 左边 | zuǒbian | left; the left side |
| 右边 | yòubian | right side; right, to the right |
| 北京 | Běijīng | Beijing municipality, capital of the People's Republic of China (short name 京[Jing1]) |
| 里边 | lǐbian | inside |
| 外边 | wàibian | outside; outer surface |
| 南边 | nánbian | south; south side |
| 东边 | dōngbian | east; east side |
| 西边 | xībian | west; west side |
Questions about 北边
What does 北边 mean?
北边 (běibian) means "north; north side" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 北边?
北边 is made of 2 characters: 北 (5 strokes), 边 (5 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 北边 an HSK word?
Yes. 北边 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 北边 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 北边 is written 北邊.
Is 边 in 北边 pronounced biān or bian?
Both are heard. In everyday speech 边 is usually light and neutral, běibian, but you will also hear and see běibiān with a full first tone. Either is understood.
What is the difference between 北边, 北面 and 北方?
北边 and 北面 (běimiàn) both mean the north side of something and are mostly interchangeable. 北方 (běifāng) usually means the northern region of a country, especially northern China, or the direction north in general.