Meaning of 东方
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- east
- the East; the Orient
- two-character surname Dongfang
How to use 东方
东方 is a noun for the direction east, and when capitalized in meaning it refers to the East or the Orient as a cultural region, often contrasted with 西方 (xīfāng), the West. It also appears as the surname Dongfang. Example: 太阳从东方升起。(Tàiyáng cóng dōngfāng shēngqǐ.) The sun rises in the east.
东 (dōng) means east and 方 (fāng) means direction or side, so 东方 is simply the east side, where the sun comes up. Picture the sun rising on the 方 side marked 东.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 东方 with 东西: 东西 read dōngxi with a neutral tone means thing or stuff, not east and west. Also keep 方 in first tone (fāng) here, unlike 地方 (dìfang), where it is usually neutral.
东方 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
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
方 fāng · square · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 东方.
| 东西 | dōngxi | east and west |
| 地方 | dìfang | region; regional (away from the central administration) |
| 东边 | dōngbian | east; east side |
| 方法 | fāngfǎ | method; way; technique; procedure |
| 方向 | fāngxiàng | direction; orientation |
| 方面 | fāngmiàn | respect; aspect |
| 方便 | fāngbiàn | convenient; suitable; to facilitate; to make things easy |
| 南方 | nánfāng | south; southern direction; (in China) southern regions, often referring to areas south of |
| 北方 | běifāng | north; the northern part a country |
| 西方 | xīfāng | the West; the Occident |
| 东北 | dōngběi | northeast |
| 东南 | dōngnán | southeast |
Questions about 东方
What does 东方 mean?
东方 (dōngfāng) means "east" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 东方?
东方 is made of 2 characters: 东 (5 strokes), 方 (4 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 东方 an HSK word?
Yes. 东方 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 东方 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 东方 is written 東方.
What is the difference between 东方 and 东边?
东边 (dōngbian) is more everyday and concrete, like the east side of a building or town. 东方 can mean the same direction but sounds more formal and is the word used for the East as a cultural or geographic region.
Is 东方 a common surname?
东方 (Dōngfāng) is one of the few two-character Chinese surnames. It is rare in daily life but well known, partly because it appears in literature and martial arts novels.