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Character

北

běi HSK 3
北 běi HSK 3
  • 1. north (the direction to one's left when facing the morning sun, opposite of 'south')
  • 2. (lit., class.) to be defeated in battle; to lose
  • 3. northern region (in China, usually refers to the Yellow River basin and areas north of it)
  • 4. a surname
  • 5. (lit.) a defeated and fleeing person; a fugitive from defeat
Words using 北 as běi (7)
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  • 6 北美洲 Běi měi zhōu — North America HSK 6
    • 北 north
    • 美 America (short for Americas)
    • 洲 continent
    Example

    加拿大和美国都位于北美洲。

    Jiā ná dà hé Měi guó dōu wèi yú Běi měi zhōu

    Canada and the United States are both located in North America.

  • 7 南辕北辙 nán yuán běi zhé — to go south while heading north; self-contradictory HSK 7
    • 南 south; represents the direction of the carriage shafts
    • 辕 shafts; the poles attached to a cart or carriage
    • 北 north; represents the direction of the wheel tracks
    • 辙 wheel tracks; the marks left by wheels on the ground
    Example

    你想减肥却天天吃零食，这不是南辕北辙吗？

    nǐ xiǎng jiǎn féi què tiān tiān chī líng shí zhè bú shì nán yuán běi zhé ma

    You want to lose weight but eat snacks every day, isn't this self-contradictory?

Structure & writing
北 běi — north (the direction to one's left when facing the morning sun, opposite of 'south')
北 is a component in 4 characters
HSK 4
乘 chéng to ride; to travel by (vehicle or animal) 背 bèi back (of the upper body, opposite the chest and abdomen)
HSK 7
乖 guāi obedient, well-behaved (of a child) 燕 yàn swallow (bird with small body, long pointed wings, and forked tail)

北 is an atomic character — it does not decompose further.

Stroke order