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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "north-east" in Japanese?
北東
hokutō
In Japanese, "north-east" is 北東 (hokutō).
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Pronunciation
北東 is written using kanji. Romanised as hokutō, it sounds roughly like "hoh-koo-toh" to an English ear.
Writing and usage
Hokutō combines north (北) and east (東). Compound directions are formed by simply pairing the kanji for each cardinal direction.
Example sentence
空港は市の北東にあります。
Kuukou wa shi no hokutou ni arimasu.
The airport is to the northeast of the city.
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How to remember 北東
Northeast combines two direction kanji you have already learned. Pattern recognition helps: all compound directions work this way.
Related words
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 北東
How do you pronounce 北東?
北東 is romanised as hokutō. Say it roughly like "hoh-koo-toh" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.
Is 北東 formal or casual?
北東 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is 北東 written in Japanese?
北東 is written using kanji. Hokutō combines north (北) and east (東).
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
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"North-east" in other languages
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