← Kanji module
N5 · 5 strokes · — · Irodori #48 · Starter L13
北
north
Stroke diagrams © KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Readings
- On’yomi
- ホク
- Kun’yomi
- きた
Example words
北
きた
north
北
ほく
northern; north
北
ペー
north wind tile
北極
ほっきょく
North Pole
Memory aids
Guided learn session →How to remember
Shape
Two people (匕匕) standing back to back — turning away from the cold north.
Components
Remember "north" (北) by connecting it to its Irodori vocabulary context.
Anchor word
北 (きた) — your first meeting with this kanji in Irodori.
Readings
First learned in 北 (きた) — recall the word to unlock the reading. Kun'yomi: きた — often used in native Japanese words (like 北). On'yomi: ホク — common in compound words (熟語).