北風

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 北風 is read as きたかぜ and is a compound of 北 and 風, meaning a wind that blows from the north.
• Basic usage: Use 北風が窓を揺らす when the wind acts and 北風を避ける when people avoid it.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Direction
  • A north wind comes from the north; it does not mean a wind blowing toward the north.
• Actor and avoided condition
  • With が, the wind is the acting natural force; with を, it is the weather condition someone seeks shelter from.