Meaning of 西北
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- northwest
- Northwest China (Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, Xinjiang)
How to use 西北
Chinese compound directions put east or west first, then north or south, so northwest is 西北, not 北西. With a capital meaning it also names the region Northwest China, which covers Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang. Example: 我老家在西北。(Wǒ lǎojiā zài Xīběi.) My hometown is in Northwest China.
西北 is simply 西 (xī, west) plus 北 (běi, north). Picture a compass needle pointing between west and north, and you have northwest.
Common mistake: English speakers often say 北西 because English puts north first. In Chinese the order is reversed, so always say 西北, and likewise 东北 (dōngběi) for northeast.
西北 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.
西 xī · west · 6 strokes
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- 2
- 3
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北 běi · north · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 西北.
| 东西 | dōngxi | east and west |
| 北京 | Běijīng | Beijing municipality, capital of the People's Republic of China (short name 京[Jing1]) |
| 北边 | běibian | north; north side |
| 西边 | xībian | west; west side |
| 北方 | běifāng | north; the northern part a country |
| 西方 | xīfāng | the West; the Occident |
| 东北 | dōngběi | northeast |
| 西南 | xīnán | southwest |
| 西餐 | xīcān | Western-style food |
| 西医 | xīyī | Western medicine; a doctor trained in Western medicine |
| 西部 | xībù | western part |
| 北部 | běibù | northern part |
Questions about 西北
What does 西北 mean?
西北 (xīběi) means "northwest" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 西北?
西北 is made of 2 characters: 西 (6 strokes), 北 (5 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 西北 an HSK word?
Yes. 西北 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say the other compound directions in Chinese?
They follow the same pattern as 西北: 东北 (dōngběi) northeast, 东南 (dōngnán) southeast, and 西南 (xīnán) southwest. East or west always comes first.
Can 西北 be used to say something is northwest of a place?
Yes. Use the pattern place + 的 + 西北 + 边, for example 北京的西北边 (Běijīng de xīběi biān), northwest of Beijing. You can also say 在城市西北 (zài chéngshì xīběi), in the northwest of the city.