東 meaning and stroke order
East, eastern, eastward
How to write 東, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 8
Meaning of 東
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- east
- host (i.e. sitting on east side of guest)
- landlord
How 東 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. The sun 日 rising behind a tree 木; compare 西.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 東
Picture the sun 日 rising behind a tree 木. When you see the sun coming up through the branches, you are looking east.
東 (dōng) is the traditional form of 东, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and it appears in direction words like 東邊 (dōngbian) and 東方 (dōngfāng). It also means host or owner, as in 房東 (fángdōng, landlord) and 股東 (gǔdōng, shareholder). Example: 太陽從東邊升起。(Tàiyáng cóng dōngbian shēngqǐ.) The sun rises in the east.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 東 with 束 (shù, to bind), which has 口 inside the tree instead of 日. Also, 東西 read as dōngxi with a neutral tone means thing or stuff, while dōngxī with a full tone means east and west.
Common words with 東
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 東西 | dōngxi | east and west | HSK 1 |
| 東邊 | dōngbian | east; east side | HSK 1 |
| 東方 | dōngfāng | east | HSK 2 |
| 東北 | dōngběi | northeast | HSK 2 |
| 東南 | dōngnán | southeast | HSK 2 |
| 東部 | dōngbù | the east; eastern part | HSK 3 |
| 房東 | fángdōng | landlord | HSK 3 |
| 股東 | gǔdōng | shareholder; stockholder | HSK 6 |
| 東道主 | dōngdàozhǔ | host; official host (e.g. venue for games or a conference) | HSK 7-9 |
| 東奔西走 | dōngbēn-xīzǒu | to run this way and that (idiom); to rush about busily; to bustle about | HSK 7-9 |
| 東張西望 | dōngzhāng-xīwàng | to look in all directions (idiom); to glance around | HSK 7-9 |
| 東東 | dōngdōng | (coll.) thing; item | |
| 老東西 | lǎodōngxi | (derog.) old fool; old bastard | |
| 東面 | dōngmiàn | east side (of sth) |
Characters that contain 東
Learning 東 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 東
How many strokes are in 東?
東 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 東 mean?
東 (dōng) means east, eastern, eastward. A common word with it is 东西 (dōngxi), meaning "east and west".
How do you pronounce 東?
東 is pronounced dōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 東?
The radical of 東 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 東 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 東?
東 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 东, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why does 東 mean host or landlord?
In traditional Chinese etiquette the host sat on the east side and the guest on the west. So 東 came to mean host or owner, which is why a landlord is 房東 (fángdōng).
How do you say northeast and southeast in Chinese?
Chinese puts east or west second: northeast is 東北 (dōngběi) and southeast is 東南 (dōngnán). This is the reverse of the English order of cardinal direction emphasis, so remember 北 or 南 comes after 東 is not used; 東 comes first.