西

xī
HSK 3
#167 most
frequent character
west
noun

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

西 began as a picture of a bird's nest, and that was its first meaning. The meaning 'west' was borrowed for the sound alone. From 'west' came 'the West, Western'.

Drawn as: nest of a bird

西 as a component in other characters

sound12 characters
牺洒栖晒茜哂硒溧舾粞恓垔

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Example Sentences

我住在西边。
wǒ zhùzài xībiān 。
I live on the west side.
西方的文化很有意思。
xīfāng de wénhuà hěn yǒuyìsī 。
Western culture is very interesting.
他从西方国家回来。
tā cóng xīfāng guójiā huílái 。
He returned from a western country.

Words with similar meanings

西方xīfāng
the West
This term refers specifically to the region known as the West, often used in a cultural context.

Homophones

吸xī
inhale, breathe, absorb, suck in
悉xī
in all cases, know
惜xī
to cherish, to begrudge, to pity
牺xī
sacrifice
稀xī
rare, uncommon, watery, sparse

Words Starting With 西

西瓜xī guā
watermelon
西红柿xī hóng shì
tomato

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Public Lists with 西

Geography & Geology
Continents, landscapes, geological formations, mapping, and terrain.
HSK 3
All words for the HSK 3 test
Directions & Location
Above, below, left, right, inside, outside, near, far, north, south, etc.
Directions & Navigation
Turn left, go straight, map, GPS, route, and related travel instructions.