東
east
Readings
On'yomi
- トウ
Kun'yomi
- ひがし
Nanori
- あい
- あがり
- あずま
- あづま
- こち
- さき
- しの
- とお
- はる
- ひが
- もと
Meaning
東 centers on the cardinal direction east, the direction of the rising sun.
Most common words using 東
24 of 562- 東京とうきょうN5
Tokyo
- 東ひがしN5
east
- 関東かんとうN2
Kantō (region comprising Tokyo and surrounding prefectures)
- 東北とうほく
north-east
- 東方とうほう
eastern direction
- 東海とうかい
Tōkai region (of Honshu; incl. Aichi, Shizuoka, Mie and southern Gifu prefectures)
- 中東ちゅうとうN3
Middle East
- 東西とうざいN2
east and west
- 東洋とうようN2
the East; the Orient; (East) Asia
- 東部とうぶN1
eastern part; the east (of a region)
- 北東ほくとうN1
northeast
- 東口ひがしぐち
east entrance; east exit
- 南東なんとうN1
southeast
- 東側ひがしがわ
east side; east bank
- 東亜とうあ
East Asia; the Orient
- 極東きょくとう
Far East
- 東欧とうおうN3
Eastern Europe
- 東邦とうほう
Oriental country; the Orient
- 東経とうけい
east longitude
- 広東カントン
Guangdong (China); Kwangtung
- 東南とうなん
south-east
- 東宮とうぐう
crown prince
- 東都とうと
the Eastern Capital (now Tokyo); Yedo; Edo
- 東京証券取引所とうきょうしょうけんとりひきじょ
Tokyo Stock Exchange; TSE
Study
Etymology
東 is a pictograph of the sun rising behind a tree, representing the direction east where the sun rises.
Meaning mnemonic
The top horizontal stroke represents the horizon, with the sun 日 rising behind a tree 木: the sun rises in the east, so 東 means east.
Reading mnemonic
For トウ, imagine the sun rising in the east over Tokyo (とうきょう): Tokyo -> トウ, and the sun rises in the east.