Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.
西xīwest
兀weak · wù
囗enclosure · wéi
Memory aidDrawn from a bird's nest. It was borrowed early on for “west”.
北běinorth
北 is a single shape of 5 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.
Memory aidDrawn from two people sitting back to back; later borrowed for “north”.
How to write 西北
西 6 strokes · 北 5 strokes
Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.
Stroke order chart for 西北 (xīběi). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.
西北 (xīběi) means “northwest” or “Northwest China”. It is an HSK 3.0 Level 3 word.
Say it xīběi: xī with a 1st tone, then běi with a 3rd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
Yes. 西北 is written the same way in Simplified and Traditional characters.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type xibei with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 西北 from the suggestions. Typing xibei into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
西北 is an HSK 3.0 Level 3 word in the official 2021 syllabus, and it is on our HSK 3.0 Band 5 word list. It is not on the older HSK 2.0 word lists.
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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences written by WillyChina. Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.
西xī1st tone, high and level
北běi3rd tone, dipping
