北
kita[kʲi̥ta̠]
In Japanese, the English phrase north is expressed as 北 (kita). If unsure, use 北. Wiktionary also lists 北方 (hoppō).
Meaning: compass point (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 北 | kita | [kʲi̥ta̠] (narrow) [kʲita̠] (narrow) |
| 北方 | hoppō | [ho̞p̚po̞ː] (narrow) [kʲita̠ɡa̠ta̠] (narrow) |
The term refers to the compass point north. It can function as a noun, an adjective meaning 'of or pertaining to the north' or an adverbial form when combined with particles to indicate direction.
Which one should you use?
北 (kita) is the standard way to say north in everyday conversation. In contrast, 北方 (hoppō) is a more formal or literary term often used in geographical or political contexts to refer to 'the northern regions'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a noun to indicate direction, 北 is often followed by the particle へ (e) or に (ni) to mean 'to the north'.
How do you pronounce it?
kita
Did you know?
- The kanji for north, 北, is a pictograph representing two people standing back-to-back. It originally illustrated the concept of people facing away from one another in opposite directions.
- In traditional Japanese fortune-telling and geomancy, the direction 北 is sometimes viewed as an unlucky direction for starting a journey or moving house.
- The word 北 is used in the term 北斗七星 'hokutoshichisei' to refer to the Big Dipper, literally meaning the 'Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper'.
Examples in context
- 見て、北極星よ。Look, it's the North Star.This sentence shows how to use 北 when referring to the North Star.Tatoeba #9954472 by small_snow, translation #1331187 by Scott
- 北って、どっち？Which direction is north?This sentence uses 北 to ask which direction is north.Tatoeba #11589034 by small_snow, translation #10022979 by Cabo
- 風は北から吹いている。The wind is blowing from the north.This sentence uses 北 to describe the direction from which the wind is blowing.Tatoeba #84004 by tommy_san, translation #319712 by CK
- 私たちは北を目指しています。We are heading north.
- 今日は北風が強いね。The north wind is strong today.
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are hiking and looking at a map.
- 健太 Kenta北はどっちの方かな？Kita wa docchi no hou kana?I wonder which way is north?
- 美咲 Misaki地図だと、あっちが北だよ。Chizu dato, acchi ga kita dayo.According to the map, that way is north.
- 健太 Kentaあ、本当だ。北に向かって歩こう。A, hontou da. Kita ni mukatte arukou.Oh, you're right. Let's walk toward the north.
- 美咲 Misakiうん、そうしよう。Un, sou shiyou.Yeah, let's do that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “north” translations and entries 北, 北方, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 北, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
