西北 (xī běi) — how to say "northwest" in Chinese

西北

Northwest

noun

Character composition

西

west

北

north

Radicals / Keys

襾

Cover

#146 · yà · 6 strokes

匕

Spoon

#21 · bǐ · 2 strokes

Collocations

往西北走

wǎng xī běi zǒu

walk toward the northwest

中国西北

zhōng guó xī běi

northwest China

Examples

中国的西北地区有很多山。

The northwest region of China has many mountains.

西北很冷。

The northwest is very cold.

Mnemonic

Mnemonic for 西北 (xī běi) — northwest

[xī běi-] A kitten named Shi found a compass and followed the needle west 西, then turned north 北. That way he reached his home in the 西北 northwest, where the smell of fish drifted. 🐱🧭

Writing

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Frequently asked questions

Northwest meaning in Chinese

"northwest" in Chinese is 西北 (xī běi).

西北 meaning in English

西北 (xī běi) means "Northwest".

How is 西北 pronounced?

It is pronounced xī běi (written as xi bei, xibei). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.

How do you write "northwest" in Chinese characters?

It is written 西北: 西 has 6 strokes, 北 has 5 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.

What HSK 3.0 level is 西北?

西北 is on the HSK 3.0 level 3 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.

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