北米
Hokubei[ho̞kɯ̟be̞ː]
In Japanese, North America is expressed as 北米 (Hokubei). Wiktionary also lists 北アメリカ (Kita Amerika).
Meaning: continent (name)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 北米 | Hokubei | [ho̞kɯ̟be̞ː] (narrow) |
| 北アメリカ | Kita Amerika | [kʲita̠ a̠me̞ɾʲika̠] (narrow) |
To refer to the continent, the most standard and widely recognized way is to use 北アメリカ. The term 北米 is also a common way to refer to the continent. If you wish to emphasize North America specifically as a continent, you may use 北米大陸. It is important to note that in Japan, the word アメリカ is often used as a shorthand for the country of the United States of America.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 北米 is a compound made of 北, meaning north and 米, which is an abbreviation for America.
Which one should you use?
In contrast, 北米 is a more concise term that is frequently used in news, politics and academic contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
Hokubei
Did you know?
- The character 米 used in 北米 is actually the kanji for 'rice', yet it is used here to represent 'America'.
- Because 米 is used for America, the Japanese word for 'US-Japan relations' is 日米, which visually looks like 'Japan-Rice'.
- The character 米 in 北米 is a phonetic shorthand derived from the word 亜米利加, which was the early Japanese transcription of 'America'.
Examples in context
- カナダは北アメリカに位置する国です。Canada is a country located in North America.This sentence is useful for illustrating the location of Canada within 北アメリカ.Tatoeba #12473180 by NoahAB, translation #12473177 by NoahAB
- 友達に「北アメリカの旅行先はどこ？」と聞かれた。My friend asked me, "Where are you planning to go in North America?"
- 会議で「北米地域の貿易について話しましょう」と提案した。In the meeting, I suggested discussing trade in the North American region.
- 北米にはたくさんの国があります。Hokumei ni wa takusan no kuni ga arimasu.There are many countries in North America.
- 北米の経済は非常に強力です。Hokumei no keizai wa hijō ni kyōryoku desu.The economy of North America is very strong.
Example conversation
Yui and Daito are talking about their dream vacations.
- 結衣 Yui大翔さんはどこへ行きたいですか？daito-san wa doko e ikitai desu ka?Where do you want to go, Daito?
- 大翔 Hiroto僕は北米を旅してみたいです。boku wa hokubei o tabi shite mitai desu.I want to try traveling around North America.
- 結衣 Yuiいいですね！具体的にどこですか？ii desu ne! gutaiteki ni doko desu ka?That's nice! Where specifically?
- 大翔 Hirotoまずはアメリカとカナダに行きたいです。mazu wa amerika to kanada ni ikitai desu.First, I want to go to the US and Canada.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “north america” translations and entries 北米, 北アメリカ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
