This is the 8405th most frequent Chinese word.
north
The Chinese word for "north" is "北" (běi).
Here '北方' refers to the general northern region, emphasizing 'north' as a direction representing a geographic area.
北方的冬天很冷。
The winters in the north are very cold.
In this sentence, '北边' refers to the specific location relative to another point, showcasing 'north' applied directionally in a spatial context.
学校在市中心的北边。
The school is located to the north of the city center.
'北部' here describes a larger northern area, indicating 'north' as part of a divided region in descriptive usage.