Meaning of 东
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- east
- host (i.e. sitting on east side of guest)
- landlord
- surname Dong
How to use 东
东 (dōng) is mostly used inside compound words for direction, like 东边 (dōngbian) and 东方 (dōngfāng). It also appears in place names such as 山东 (Shāndōng). Example: 银行在学校东边。(Yínháng zài xuéxiào dōngbian.) The bank is east of the school.
Look at the traditional form 東: it looks like the sun 日 caught behind a tree 木, the way the morning sun rises through the trees in the east. The simplified 东 keeps the same idea in a quicker shape.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 东西 said as dōngxī (east and west) with 东西 said as dōngxi (thing, stuff), where 西 is in the neutral tone. Also, Chinese puts east first in compass directions, so northeast is 东北 (dōngběi), not 北东.
东 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
东 dōng · east · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 东.
| 东西 | dōngxi | east and west |
| 东边 | dōngbian | east; east side |
| 东方 | dōngfāng | east |
| 东北 | dōngběi | northeast |
| 东南 | dōngnán | southeast |
| 东部 | dōngbù | the east; eastern part |
| 房东 | fángdōng | landlord |
| 股东 | gǔdōng | shareholder; stockholder |
| 东道主 | dōngdàozhǔ | host; official host (e.g. venue for games or a conference) |
| 东奔西走 | dōngbēn-xīzǒu | to run this way and that (idiom); to rush about busily; to bustle about |
| 东张西望 | dōngzhāng-xīwàng | to look in all directions (idiom); to glance around |
| 东东 | dōngdōng | (coll.) thing; item |
Questions about 东
What does 东 mean?
东 (dōng) means "east; host (i.e. sitting on east side of guest)" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 东?
东 is made of 1 character: 东 (5 strokes). That is 5 strokes in total.
Is 东 an HSK word?
Yes. 东 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 东 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 东 is written 東.
Why does 东 mean host or landlord?
In traditional seating, the host sat on the east side, so 东 came to mean host. You see this in 房东 (fángdōng), landlord, and 做东 (zuòdōng), to treat someone or pick up the bill.
How do I say southeast and northeast in Chinese?
Southeast is 东南 (dōngnán) and northeast is 东北 (dōngběi). 东北 also commonly refers to Northeast China, the region around Harbin and Shenyang.