Meaning

Primary

North Pole

Alternative

Arctic

Word Type

noun, の adjective

Explanation

The northern extreme of the world is the North Pole, aka the Arctic. You know, the pole with the polar bears.

Reading

ほっきょく
  • Miyuki
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

This is a jukugo word that uses on'yomi readings for (ほく) and (きょく). If you remember those readings, you're almost there — just keep in mind the ほく changes to ほっ in this word!

Context

Common Word Combinations

  • 北極の海

    sea of the Arctic

    北極の氷

    Arctic ice

    北極の空

    Arctic sky

Context Sentences

北極はとても寒いです。

The North Pole is very cold.

北極にはシロクマが住んでいます。

Polar bears live in the Arctic.

北極の夏は、夜になっても空が明るいんです。

In summer in the Arctic, the sky is bright even at night.

北極でオーロラを見ました。とてもやさしい光でした。

I saw the northern lights at the North Pole. It was a very gentle light.

Kanji Composition