Chinese word

北极

Pronunciation

Pinyinběi jí

Meaning

  • nounNorth Pole

Example

我想去北极看北极光。wǒ xiǎng qù běi jí kàn běi jí guāng

I want to go to the North Pole to see the northern lights.

Illustration for 北极 (North Pole)

More examples

夏季北极的冰层部分融化。xià jì běi jí de bīng céng bù fèn róng huà

In summer, some of the ice at the North Pole melts.

Core concept

The frozen polar world centered on Earth's northernmost point, stretching across surrounding sea ice and nearby land.

Common phrases

  • 北极光běi jí guāng

    aurora borealis

  • 北极熊běi jí xióng

    polar bear

  • 到北极探险dào běi jí tàn xiǎn

    go on an expedition to the North Pole

Similar words

南极nán jí: Earth's southernmost point and the icy polar area around it.
极地jí dì: A general term for the icy, extremely cold areas near Earth's poles.
北极圈běi jí quān: The imaginary boundary near 66.5 degrees north, north of which the sun can stay up all day in summer.

Definition in Chinese

指地球北部的寒冷极区，包括北极点周边的海域与陆地，生态与气候具有极端特征。zhǐ dì qiú běi bù de hán lěng jí qū bāo kuò běi jí diǎn zhōu biān de hǎi yù yǔ lù dì shēng tài yǔ qì hòu jù yǒu jí duān tè zhēng

Word origin

北极 (běijí, "North Pole") combines 北 (běi, "north") with 极 (jí, "extreme point"), naming the northern extreme and the polar region around it.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may connect this term with Santa's fictional home, but Chinese geography uses it as a neutral name for a real place and environment.

Other meanings

  • Arctic Circlenoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 北极光běi jí guāngaurora borealisnoun
  • 北极熊běi jí xióngpolar bearnoun

Word lists with this word