东 (dōng): east, host (i.e. sitting on east side of guest), landlord
东 (dōng) is a Chinese character meaning “east.” Classified as HSK Level 1 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 七 (structural) and 小 (structural). It ranks #194 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically pictographic, 东 simplified form of 東, the sun 日 rising behind a tree 木. Its radical form 一 (one) appears in many related characters such as 一 (yī, one), 七 (qī, seven), 三 (sān, three).
Definitions
- east
- host (i.e. sitting on east side of guest)
- landlord
Etymology & Origin
pictographicSimplified form of 東, the sun 日 rising behind a tree 木
Decomposition: ⿻七小 (layout: overlay)
Stroke Order
Practice writing 东 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 东
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 东西noun | dōng xī | east and west | 1 |
| 东部noun | dōng bù | the east | 4 |
| 房东noun | fáng dōng | landlord | 4 |
| 东方noun | dōng fāng | east | 3 |
| 东北noun | dōng běi | northeast | 3 |
| 东南noun | dōng nán | southeast | 3 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 东京 | dōng jīng | Tokyo, capital of Japan |
| 股东 | gǔ dōng | shareholder |
| 东边 | dōng bian | east |
| 东欧 | dōng ōu | Eastern Europe |
| 东面 | dōng miàn | east side (of sth) |
| 东东 | dōng dōng | (coll.) thing |
| 东侧 | dōng cè | east side |
| 东家 | dōng jiā | master (i.e. employer) |
| 关东 | guān dōng | Northeast China |
| 东亚 | dōng yà | East Asia |
| 广东 | guǎng dōng | see 廣東省|广东省[Guang3 dong1 Sheng3] |
| 东德 | dōng dé | East Germany (1945-1990) |
| 东经 | dōng jīng | east longitude |
| 东海 | dōng hǎi | East China Sea |
| 东风 | dōng fēng | easterly wind |
东 appears in 100 compound words: 76 as the first character, 24 as the last, and 0 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 东 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (26)
lit. pull down the east wall to repair the west (idiom); fig. temporary expedient; Rob Peter to pay Paul
to lean unsteadily from side to side (idiom); to sway; (of buildings etc) to lean at a crazy angle
to lean unsteadily from side to side (idiom); to sway; (of buildings etc) to lean at a crazy angle
Showing 12 of 26 idioms containing 东.
Example Sentences
太阳从东方升起，西方落下，这是自然规律。
Tàiyáng cóng dōngfāng shēngqǐ, xīfāng luòxià, zhè shì zìrán guīlǜ.
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west; this is a natural law.
东西问丨全球政要马年“集体说马” 背后藏着...
dōng xī wèn 丨 quán qiú zhèng yāo mǎ nián jí tī shuō mǎ bēi hòu zàng zhe . . .
The world's leading politicians are talking about the year of the horse...
中国短道最靓的一个第五名——米兰冬奥会山东选手公俐..
zhōng guó duǎn dào zuì 靓 de yī gě dì wǔ míng mǐ lán dōng ào huì shān dōng xuǎn shǒu gōng 俐 . .
China's short track one of the prettiest fifth - Milan Winter Olympics Shandong's Gong Li...
守护万家灯火,90后山东小伙的萧山变电站除夕夜
shǒu hù mò jiā dēng huǒ , hòu shān dōng xiǎo huǒ de xiāo shān biàn diàn zhàn chú xī yè
Guarding the lights, 90 years after the Shandong boy's Xiaoshan substation New Year's Eve
2025年收获满满,山东信息职业技术学院向合作单位..
nián shōu huò mǎn mǎn , shān dōng xìn xī zhí yè jì shù xué yuàn xiàng gě zuò shàn wèi . .
2025: A Year of Abundant Harvests Shandong Information Vocational College extends its gratitude to partner institutions...
“文旅+”业态提质升级,山东新春假日文旅消费场景更..
wén lǚ yè tài tí zhì shēng jí , shān dōng xīn chūn jiǎ rì wén lǚ xiāo fèi chǎng jǐng gēng . .
"Cultural Tourism Plus" Business Models Upgrade Quality, Enhancing Shandong's Spring Festival Holiday Cultural Tourism Experiences...
为什么这个月房东还不来收房租？
Wèishénme zhège yuè fángdōng hái bù lái shōu fángzū?
Why hasn't the landlord come to collect rent this month?
你认为从这里去东京要花多久时间？
Nǐ rènwéi cóng zhèlǐ qù Dōngjīng yào huā duōjiǔ shíjiān?
How long do you think it takes to go from here to Tokyo?
这个东西是你的吗？
Zhège dōngxi shì nǐ de ma?
Is that thing yours?
你收拾好东西了没有？
Nǐ shōushi hǎo dōngxi le méiyǒu?
Have you finished packing yet?
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 东 (dōng) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 东 and 右?
How many strokes does 东 have?
What is the radical of 东?
What are the components of 东?
What are common words containing 东?
What characters sound the same as 东 (dōng)?
Is 东 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 东 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear native pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.