北 běi
“north; (classical) to be defeated”
locality word2021 list level 1
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
北 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 517: 北 běi — Level 3; official annotation 3 (名). PDF page 92
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 北
北 means north and is a noun. It is used in directions with 往/朝/向 (往北走、朝北), in place nouns like 城北、北边、北面、北方, and in compounds such as 北京、东北、西北.
例句Example sentences
- 一直往北走，就能看到火车站。yì zhí wǎng běi zǒu, jiù néng kàn dào huǒ chē zhàn.Keep walking north and you'll see the train station.
- 我家的房子在城北，离这儿不远。wǒ jiā de fáng zi zài chéng běi, lí zhèr bù yuǎn.My home is in the north of the city, not far from here.
- 北方的冬天比南方冷得多。běi fāng de dōng tiān bǐ nán fāng lěng de duō.Winters in the north are much colder than in the south.
易混词Easily confused
北vs北方
Use 北方 or 北边 when you mean the northern area or direction as a place; 北 alone rarely stands as a location noun, so say 在北京北边 rather than 在北京北.