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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "north" in Japanese?
北
kita
In Japanese, "north" is 北 (kita).
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Pronunciation
北 is written using kanji. Romanised as kita, it sounds roughly like "kee-tah" to an English ear.
Writing and usage
北 is one of the four cardinal direction kanji, alongside 南 (south), 東 (east) and 西 (west). It is read kita on its own, but takes the reading hoku in compounds such as 北海道 (Hokkaidō, Japan's northernmost main island).
Example sentence
駅は公園の北にあります。
Eki wa kouen no kita ni arimasu.
The station is to the north of the park.
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How to remember 北
The two halves of 北 look like two people standing back to back, facing away from each other. Think of them as facing north and south at the same time, a small clue that this character marks a direction.
Related words
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 北
How do you pronounce 北?
北 is romanised as kita. Say it roughly like "kee-tah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.
Is 北 formal or casual?
北 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 written in Japanese?
北 is written using kanji. 北 is one of the four cardinal direction kanji, alongside 南 (south), 東 (east) and 西 (west).
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
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"North" in other languages
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