北
中国的北边是蒙古国。
The north of China is Mongolia.
The direction to the left of a person facing east; one of the four cardinal directions.
太阳从东边升起，西边落下。北边是一片森林。
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. To the north is a forest.
Often used in place names or directional contexts.
Short for 北京 (Beijing), the capital of China.
我从北来。
I come from Beijing.
Common in spoken Chinese when referring to Beijing.
To lose or fail (used in formal or literary contexts).
一败北于战场。
Defeated on the battlefield.
Rarely used in modern spoken Chinese.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Remembering '北'
'北' resembles a person walking north with their back facing south. Think of the top horizontal stroke as their back and the vertical stroke as their spine.
Gold Rule
Directional Context
Always clarify if '北' refers to the cardinal direction or a place name (e.g., 北京). Context usually resolves ambiguity.
Word Origin
From Old Chinese *pɯːʔ, originally depicting a person’s back (象形字，表示人背朝的方向). Evolved to denote the northern direction as a cardinal point.
Usage Notes
In modern Chinese, '北' is often combined with other characters to form directional terms (e.g., 东北, 西北). Alone, it typically refers to the cardinal direction or Beijing in informal contexts.