东
東dōng
HSK 3
#194 most
frequent character
east, host (i.e. sitting on east side of guest)
noun
adjective
Character breakdown
Source: Make Me a Hanzi.
东 is a shortened form of 東, which showed a bag closed at both ends. That was the first meaning. The sense 'east' was borrowed for sound alone, not from the bag. Later it grew to mean 'host', from old seating customs.
Drawn as: bag tied at ends
Ask DeepSeek
Example Sentences
我家在东边。
wǒjiā zài dōngbiān 。
My home is on the east side.
太阳从东方升起。
tàiyáng cóng dōngfāng shēngqǐ 。
The sun rises in the east.
东边有一座山。
dōngbiān yǒu yīzuò shān 。
There is a mountain to the east.
Words with similar meanings
Homophones
Words Starting With 东
Your word lists
Sign in to add this word to your private lists.