Chinese character for east: 东 (dōng)
The Chinese character for east is 东 (dōng). It means east and appears in 东方 (dōngfāng, the East) and 东西 (dōngxi, thing, literally 'east-west'). The sun rises in the east, so it is linked with new beginnings.
How 东 is built
The traditional form 東 is often explained as the sun 日 rising behind a tree 木, a lovely memory aid. Scholars note that the oldest form actually showed a sack tied at both ends, borrowed for its sound. The simplified 东 is a cursive shortening of 東. Together with 西 (west), it forms 东西, the everyday word for 'thing'.
东 dōng · east
- 七qī — seven
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 乚 — hook stroke
- 小xiǎo — small
- 亅 — hook
- 八bā — eight
Origin hint: Simplified form of 東, the sun 日 rising behind a tree 木 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
How 东 is used
Before you use it as a tattoo or design: Traditional 東 shows the sun-behind-a-tree image and is often preferred; simplified 东 is the everyday form.
Questions
What is the Chinese character for east?
东 (dōng) means “east”. In traditional characters it is written 東.
How do you pronounce 东?
东 is pronounced dōng.
Is 东 simplified or traditional?
东 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore; 東 is the traditional form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong.