北 Stroke Order — How to Write 北

Stroke Order

北 is written in 5 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 匕, then complete the remaining strokes.

Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.

北 Radical and Character Components

Partial breakdown of 北:匕

北 is a pictograph. Two people 匕 sitting back-to-back; phonetic loan for "north".

Radical: 匕 + 3 more strokes

北 Pronunciation and Pinyin

běi
bèi

Meanings of 北 in Chinese

běi北

North; a cardinal direction, referring to the side opposite south.

她来自北方，对冬天的大雪习以为常。

She comes from the north and is used to heavy snow in winter.

To be defeated and retreat; to flee after a loss.

经过一场激烈的比赛，我们队最终败北了

After an intense match, our team was ultimately defeated.

bèi北

To go against, violate, or run in the opposite direction (an archaic usage of 北, equivalent to 背).

他们的目标北道而驰，无法达成共识。

Their goals ran in opposite directions, making it impossible to reach a consensus.

Common Words and Phrases with 北

běi北bàn半qiú球

Northern Hemisphere

北半球的夏季通常在六月至八月之间。

Summer in the Northern Hemisphere typically falls between June and August.

běi北biān边

the north side; the northern part of a region or country

公园的北边有一个小湖。

There is a small lake on the north side of the park.

běi北bīng兵

the Northern Army

北兵南下，一度使得边境局势紧张。

Northern soldiers marched south, temporarily heightening the tension at the border.

běi北bù部

The northern part or region of a place or country.

这个岛屿的北部气候宜人，吸引了许多游客前来观光。

The northern part of this island has pleasant weather, attracting many tourists to visit.

běi北chén辰

Polaris; the North Star

在古代，水手们常常依靠北辰来辨别方向，因为它在夜空中显得格外明亮且位置固定。

In ancient times, sailors often relied on the North Star to determine their direction, as it appears exceptionally bright and fixed in the night sky.

běi北dà大huāng荒

The Great Northern Wilderness, an area in Heilongjiang Province, China, formerly desolate but now a major agricultural region.

在艰苦卓绝的努力下，北大荒从一片荒芜之地变成了富饶的粮仓。

Through arduous and persistent efforts, Beidahuang transformed from a barren land into a fertile granary.

běi北dí狄

Beidi (北狄) refers to the ancient northern minority ethnic groups or nomadic tribes in Chinese history.

史书上常记载北狄与中原的文化交流。

Historical records often document cultural exchanges between the Beidi and the Central Plains.

běi北fá伐zhàn战zhēng争

The Northern Expedition (1926-1927) was a military campaign launched by the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to unify China by defeating the Northern Warlords.

北伐战争在当时的历史背景下，对国家走向产生了深远影响

The Northern Expedition, within the historical context of that era, had a profound influence on the nation's future development.

běi北fāng方

north; the northern part of a country, especially referring to the region north of the Yellow River in China.

北方冬天通常很冷，而且常常下雪

The winters in the north are usually very cold, and it often snows.

běi北fāng方fāng方yán言

Northern Chinese dialects.

他从小在北京长大，所以他的口音带有明显的北方方言特点。

He grew up in Beijing, so his accent has clear characteristics of Northern Chinese dialects.

běi北fāng方huà话

Northern Dialect (Běifānghuà) is the largest group of Chinese dialects, forming the basis of Modern Standard Chinese. It's spoken by over 70% of the Han population across northern, central, and southwestern China.