北边
běi biān · HSK 1
north
🧭 北 (north) + 边 (side) = north side
北边 is a transparent compound: 北 means north and 边 means side or edge. Put them together and you get north side or the area to the north. The same pattern gives 东边 east side, 南边 south side, 西边 west side.
北 — two people 人 back-to-back
北 originally pictured two people standing back-to-back, meaning 'back' or 'to turn one's back on.' Because people in ancient China faced south, their backs pointed north, so 北 came to mean 'north.' The original 'back' sense was later written with 背 (adding 月/flesh).
边 — 辶 (walk) + 臱 (phonetic)
边 is the simplified form of 邊. It combines the walking radical 辶 with the phonetic component 臱, suggesting a place reached by walking — the edge or border of a territory. The meaning extended from 'frontier' to 'side' or 'edge' in general.