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phía Bắc
/fîəˀ băːk/
north
Hà Nội nằm ở phía Bắc của Việt Nam.
Hanoi is located in the north of Vietnam.
general
The cardinal direction opposite to the south; the northern region of a country or area.
Con đường phía Bắc dẫn đến biên giới.
The northern road leads to the border.
Mùa đông ở phía Bắc thường lạnh hơn.
Winter in the north is usually colder.
Commonly used in geographic, meteorological, or directional contexts.
Collocations
phía Bắc Việt Namnorth of Vietnamhướng phía Bắcnorthward direction
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Directional clarity
Use 'phía Bắc' when specifying a location relative to another (e.g., 'phía Bắc thành phố'). For absolute directions, 'Bắc' alone is sufficient (e.g., 'hướng Bắc').
Word Origin
Compound of 'phía' (side/direction) + 'Bắc' (north). 'Bắc' derives from Middle Chinese 北 (pək, 'north'), cognate with Mandarin '北' (běi).
Usage Notes
'Phía Bắc' is more specific than 'Bắc' alone, emphasizing the directional or regional aspect. In formal writing, 'Bắc' may suffice, but 'phía Bắc' is preferred in descriptive or navigational contexts.
Word Breakdown
phía
side/direction
rootBắc
north
rootTừ Điển Việt Anh