北

North

N5 · 5 stroke · 14 kanji

Two people sitting back-to-back — turning their backs to the cold northern wind.

Memory hint

In ancient China, north meant cold and darkness — the direction people turned their backs to. 北 shows two figures seated back-to-back: left side facing one way, right (匕) the other. When you turn your back on something, you face its opposite. North is the direction your back faces.

Your note✓ saved

Kanji using this radical
2 kanji
北
North
きた · ほく
背
Back / Height / Stature
せ · はい

Making these mistakes in real life?

MojiIQ corrects your Japanese as you type — in Gmail, Slack, Notion, Discord. Free, no signup needed.

Add to Chrome — Free