西せい洋よう

せ

い

よ

う

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

the West; Western countries; the Occident

Refers to Western nations, especially Europe and North America, often contrasted with 東洋 (the East). Used in historical, cultural, and geographical contexts.

Usage patterns

西せい洋ようの影えい響きょうを受うけるto be influenced by the West
明めい治じ時じ代だいの日本にほんは西せい洋ようの影えい響きょうを強つよく受うけた。
Japan in the Meiji era was strongly influenced by the West.
西せい洋ようから〈物もの〉が伝つたわるfor something to be introduced from the West
この技ぎ術じゅつは西せい洋ようから伝つたわったものだ。
This technology was introduced from the West.

Kanji

西west, Spain
洋ocean, sea, foreign

Related words

欧おう米べいN3
欧米 specifically means Europe and America and is common in political/economic contexts, while 西洋 is the broader, more cultural/historical term for 'the West'.
西せい欧おうN3
西欧 narrowly means Western Europe, whereas 西洋 more broadly covers Europe together with North America.
洋よう
西洋 specifically means 'the West/Europe', while 洋 as a prefix broadly marks anything Western or foreign in compounds like 洋食.

Opposites

東とう洋ようN2
東洋 refers to the East (East Asia), while 西洋 refers to the West (Europe and North America); the two are commonly used as a contrasting pair.
東とう邦ほう
西洋 refers to the West, the geographic and cultural opposite of 東邦, which refers to the East.

Word family· 53

西せい洋よう人じんN1
Western person; Westerner
西せい洋よう風ふうN2
Western style
西せい洋よう化か
westernization
西せい洋よう史し
Western history; history of the Western world
セイヨウヒイラギ
English holly; Ilex aquifolium

Show 5 more

セイヨウトネリコ
common ash; European ash
西せい洋よう梨なし
European pear; common pear
セイヨウハシバミ
Eurasian hazel; common hazel
西せい洋よう流りゅう
Western ways; Western customs; Western style
西せい洋よう碁ご
checkers; draughts

See all 53 in Explore →

Written forms

西せい洋ようUsage97%
Standard kanji spelling for 'the West' or 'Western countries'.
セイヨウUsage2%

Etymology

Compound of 西 (west) and 洋 (ocean), originally referring to the Western world across the ocean from Japan. The exact historical derivation is straightforward.