東

See also: 东 and 柬

東 U+6771, 東 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6771 ← 杰 [U+6770] CJK Unified Ideographs 杲 → [U+6772]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

東 (radical 75, 木+4, 8 strokes, cangjie input 木田 (DW), four-corner 5090₆, composition ⿻木日 or ⿻束一)

Derived characters

• 倲(㑈), 凍(冻), 㖦, 埬(𪣆), 娻, 崠, 𢔅, 𢛔(𫹼), 㨂, 涷, 𤟈, 陳(陈), 腖(胨), 棟(栋), 𬌃, 𤦪, 𬨮, 𫞸, 䍶, 蝀(𬟽), 諌, 𧳣, 𧼓, 𨌿, 錬, 㯥, 𩜍, 𩣳, 鯟, 䵔, 𫨽, 𮟽, 㼯, 𧡍(𬢈), 䰤, 鶇(鸫), 𫳒, 崬(岽), 氭(𣱝), 菄, 䦨, 𩭩, 𪂝
• 練 (Exception: Only for Japanese shinjitai. Other regions contain 柬 instead)
• 重 (Contains 東 as a phonetic)

Related characters

• 东 (Simplified Chinese)

References

• KangXi: page 513, character 12
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14499
• Dae Jaweon: page 899, character 8
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1165, character 4
• Unihan data for U+6771

---

Chinese

trad.		東
simp.		东

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 東
Shang		Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu Slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (東) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
東	*toːŋ
菄	*toːŋ
鶇	*toːŋ
倲	*toːŋ
涷	*toːŋ, *toːŋs
蝀	*toːŋ, *toːŋʔ
凍	*toːŋ, *toːŋs
鯟	*toːŋ
崠	*toːŋ
埬	*toːŋ
棟	*toːŋs

The traditional origin, as given in Shuowen, interprets the character as the sun (日) rising behind a tree (木). Some scholars stand by this; others challenge it, interpreting it as a phonetic borrowing of a character that originally represented either a bundle of faggots tied together or a bag tied at both ends (like a cellophane-wrapped candy with the ends twisted). See the discussion in Allan (1991), pp. 47-50. Allan herself argues that evidence from the oracle bone inscriptions support the Shuowen, and that the tree represents the Fu Sang tree.

Etymology

Cognate with Chepang थोङ्‌सा (thoŋ‑, “lighten; be bright”) and Chepang थोङ्‌ह (thoŋh, “awake time (as opposed to dream time)”) (Schuessler, 2007). Perhaps related to or influenced by 暾 (OC *tʰuːn, “rising sun”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): dōng (dong¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄨㄥ

  (Chengdu, SP): dong¹

  (Dungan, Cyrillic): дун (dun, I)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou, Jyutping): dung¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): uung¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): dung¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): tûng

  (Meixian, Guangdong): dung¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): dung¹
• Min Bei (KCR): dóng
• Min Dong (BUC): dĕ̤ng / dŭng
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): tang / tong

  (Teochew, Peng'im): dang¹ / dong¹

• Wu (Wiktionary): ton (T1)
• Xiang (Wiktionary): dong¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: dōng
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄨㄥ
    • Wade–Giles: tung1
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dong
    • Tongyong Pinyin: dong
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʊŋ⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: dong¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: dung
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /toŋ⁵⁵/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic: дун (dun, I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tuŋ²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: dung¹
    • Yale: dūng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dung¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: dung¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʊŋ⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: uung¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɵŋ³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: dung¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tuŋ⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: tûng
    • Hakka Romanization System: dung´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: dung¹
    • Sinological IPA: /tuŋ²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: dung¹
    • Sinological IPA: /tʊŋ⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: dung¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /tũŋ¹¹/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: dóng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɔŋ⁵⁴/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: dĕ̤ng / dŭng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tøyŋ⁵⁵/, /tuŋ⁵⁵/

Note:

• dĕ̤ng - colloquial;
• dŭng - literary.

Min Nan

• (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tang
  • Tâi-lô: tang
  • Phofsit Daibuun: dafng
  • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /taŋ⁴⁴/
  • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /taŋ³³/
• (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tong
  • Tâi-lô: tong
  • Phofsit Daibuun: dofng
  • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /tɔŋ³³/
  • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /tɔŋ⁴⁴/

Note:

• tang - colloquial;
• tong - literary.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: dang¹ / dong¹
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tang / tong
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /taŋ³³/, /toŋ³³/

Note:

• dang1 - colloquial;
• dong1 - literary.

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wiktionary: ton (T1)
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʊŋ⁵³/

Xiang

• (Changsha)
  • Wiktionary: dong¹
  • Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /tʊŋ³³/
  • Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /tən³³/

---

• Middle Chinese: /tuŋ/

Rime
Character	東
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	端 (5)
Final (韻)	東 (1)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	德紅切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/tuŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/tuŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/tuŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/təwŋ/
Li Rong	/tuŋ/
Wang Li	/tuŋ/
Bernard Karlgren	/tuŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	dōng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	dung1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*tˤoŋ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*toːŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	東
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	dōng
Middle Chinese	‹ tuwng ›
Old Chinese	/*tˁoŋ/ (< *tˁoŋʔ ?)
English	east
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	東
Reading #	1/1
No.	2435
Phonetic component	東
Rime group	東
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	東
Old Chinese	/*toːŋ/
Notes	種（種籽）初文，甲金文象種皮甲坼萌生根芽， 參敕字陳字注

Definitions

東

1. east
2. host

   做東 / 做东  ―  zuòdōng  ―  to be host

3. landlord; owner

   房東 / 房东  ―  fángdōng  ―  landlord

   股東 / 股东  ―  gǔdōng  ―  shareholder

4. (Teochew) side
5. (～日) (telegraphy) the first day of a month

Coordinate terms

• (compass points) 方位;

西北	北	東北
西		東
西南	南	東南

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (東):

• → Japanese: 東(とう) (tō)
• → Korean: 동 (東, dong)
• → Vietnamese: đông (東)

Others:

• Japanese: 東(トン) (ton, “east wind (mahjong tile)”)

Compounds

• See 東/derived terms § East (Chinese).

---

Japanese

Kanji

東

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: つう (tsū)
• Kan-on: とう (tō, Jōyō)
• Sō-on: とん (ton)
• Kun: ひがし (higashi, 東, Jōyō); あずま (azuma, 東)^{←あづま (aduma, historical)}
• Nanori: あい (ai); あがり (agari); あきら (akira); こ (ko); こち (kochi); さき (saki); しの (shino); とお (tō); はじめ (hajime); はる (haru); ひが (higa); もと (moto)

Compounds

• See 東/derived terms § Kanji.

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
東
ひがし Grade: 2
kun’yomi

/ɸiŋɡaɕi/ → /ɸiɡaɕi/ → /hiɡaɕi/

Sound shift from hingashi (see Etymology 2 below).

Now the standard word for east.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ひがし [hìgáshí] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) ひがし​ [hìgáshíꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [çiɡa̠ɕi]

Noun

東(ひがし) • (higashi) 

1. the east (compass point)

   Antonym: 西 (nishi)

2. the Orient

   Synonym: 東洋 (tōyō)

3. an easterly (wind blowing from the east)

   Synonym: 東風 (kochi, kochikaze, tōfū, higashikaze)

4. (sumo) higher-ranked wrestlers listed on the right of a banzuke

   Antonym: 西 (nishi)

5. an Eastern Bloc country

   Synonym: 東側 (higashigawa)

   Antonym: 西 (nishi)

6. (regional, historical) Kamakura and/or Edo, as opposed to Kyoto and Osaka

   Antonym: 西 (nishi)

7. (theater) This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Coordinate terms

• (compass points) 方角(ほうがく) (hōgaku);

西北(せいほく) (seihoku) 北西(ほくせい) (hokusei)	北(きた) (kita)	東北(とうほく) (tōhoku) 北東(ほくとう) (hokutō)
西(にし) (nishi)		東(ひがし) (higashi)
西南(せいなん) (seinan) 南西(なんせい) (nansei)	南(みなみ) (minami)	東南(とうなん) (tōnan) 南東(なんとう) (nantō)

Derived terms

• See 東/derived terms § East (Japanese).

Descendants

• → English: higashi

Proper noun

東(ひがし) • (Higashi) 

1. (historical) a red-light district in Edo located east of Edo Castle (today in Fukagawa, Kōtō Ward)
2. (Buddhism) Short for 東本願寺 (Higashi Hongan-ji): a Buddhist temple in Kyoto
3. a placename, especially the name of a ward in various cities throughout Japan
4. a surname

Derived terms

• お東(ひがし), 御(お)東(ひがし) (o-Higashi)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
東
ひんがし Grade: 2
Irregular

*⟨pi₁ muka si⟩ → */pʲimukasi/ → /pimʉɡasi/ → /ɸimʉɡaɕi/ → /ɸiŋɡaɕi/ → /hiŋɡaɕi/

Shift from Old Japanese 東 (*pi₁mukasi)..

Noun

東(ひんがし) • (hingashi) 

1. (obsolete) the east

Citations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:東.

Derived terms

• See 東/derived terms § East (obsolete) (Japanese).

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
東
あずま Grade: 2
kun’yomi

Alternative spellings
吾妻 吾嬬

⟨aduma⟩ → /ad͡zuma/ → /azuma/

From Old Japanese, itself of unknown derivation.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あ​ずま [áꜜzùmà] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [a̠zɨᵝma̠]

Noun

東(あずま) • (azuma) ^{←あづま (aduma)?}

1. (archaic) the east
2. (archaic) the lands east of the 都 (miyako, “imperial capital”)
3. (regional, historical) during the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, the Kamakura region or its titular 幕府 (bakufu, “shogunate”), as opposed to the imperial capital of Kyoto
4. (regional, historical) during the Edo period, the region around Edo
5. Short for 東つ (azumatsu): This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
6. Short for 東琴 (azumagoto): a six-stringed Japanese zither
7. Short for 東下駄 (azumageta): This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Derived terms

• See 東/derived terms § East (archaic) (Japanese).

Proper noun

東(あずま) • (Azuma) ^{←あづま (aduma)?}

1. a placename
2. a female given name
3. a surname

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
東
とう Grade: 2
kan’on

From Middle Chinese 東 (MC tuŋ).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) と​ー [tóꜜò] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [to̞ː]

Proper noun

東(とう) • (Tō) 

1. Short for 関東 (Kantō):: the Kantō region of Japan
2. Short for 東国 (Tōgoku): a historical administrative division of Japan, corresponding to the modern Kantō and Tōkai regions
3. Short for 東京 (Tōkyō): Tokyo
4. a surname

Derived terms

• 東(とう)上(じょう) (tōjō, “going to Tokyo”)

Noun

東(とう) • (tō) 

1. (music) This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Affix

東(とう) • (tō) 

1. east

Derived terms

• See 東/derived terms § East (affix) (Japanese).

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
東
とん Grade: 2
sōon

From Mandarin 東 (dōng).

Compare Wu 東 (ton), Hakka 東 (tûng), Min Nan 東 (tong).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ト​ン [tóꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [tõ̞ɴ]

Noun

東(トン) • (ton) 

1. (mahjong) east wind (mahjong tile)

   Hypernym: 風牌 (kazehai, fanpai)

2. (mahjong) a 役 (yaku, “winning hand”) with a triplet or quad of east wind tiles; depending on wind round and player's seat wind, it is worth either 1 or 2 翻 (han, “doubles”)

   Hypernym: 役牌 (yakuhai, yaku-pai)

Derived terms

• 東(トン)風(ぷう)戦(せん) (tonpūsen, “east-round game”)

See also

• 風牌(かぜハイ) (kazehai, “wind tiles”): 東(トン) (ton, “east wind”), 南(ナン) (nan, “south wind”), 西(シャー) (shā, “west wind”), 北(ペー) (pē, “north wind”)

Proper noun

東(とん) • (Ton) 

1. a surname

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
東
Grade: 2
nanori

Nominalization of the stem of adjective 明らか (akiraka, “clear”).

Proper noun

東(あきら) • (Akira) 

1. a surname
2. a male given name

Etymology 7

Kanji in this term
東
Grade: 2
nanori

Nominalization of verb 上る, 登る (noboru, “to ascend, rise”).

Proper noun

東(のぼる) • (Noboru) 

1. a male given name

Etymology 8

Kanji in this term
東
Grade: 2
nanori

Nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 始める (hajimeru, “to begin, start”).

Proper noun

東(はじめ) • (Hajime) 

1. a surname
2. a male given name

---

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 東 (MC tuŋ).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	도ᇰ (Yale: twòng)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[1]	도ᇰ녁 (Yale: twòngnyèk)	도ᇰ (Yale: twòng)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [to̞ŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [동]

Hanja

Wikisource

東 (eumhun 동녘 동 (dongnyeok dong))

1. Hanja form^? of 동 (“east; eastern”).

Compounds

• See 東/derived terms § East (Korean).

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [2]

---

Okinawan

Kanji

東

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• On: とー (tō); とぅ (tu)
• Kun: く (ku, 東); くち (kuchi, 東); あがり (agari, 東)

Compounds

• 東風 (kuchi, kuchikaji)
• 東京 (Tōchō)
• 広東瓜 (kwantuui)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
東
あがり Grade: 2
kun’yomi

From 上り (agari, “ascent, rise”) in reference to the direction where the sun rises or ascends.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔaɡaɾi/

Noun

東 (hiragana あがり, rōmaji agari)

1. east

---

Old Japanese

Compounds

• 東風 (ayu, *koti, *kotikaze)

Etymology 1

Ultimate derivation unknown.

A speculative origin might be a compound of 天 (ama, “sky, heavens”, combining form) +‎ 端 (tuma, “edge, beginning”), but the elision of the ma in ama does not follow normal patterns.

Alternative forms

• 吾妻

Noun

東 (aduma) (kana あづま)

1. the east
2. the lands east of the 都 (mi₁yako₁, “imperial capital”)

Citations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:東.

Descendants

• Japanese: 東 (azuma)

Etymology 2

Found in one poem of the Man'yōshū (c. 759 C.E.), but consistently spelled with this single kanji rather than in man'yōgana, thus leaving the reading unspecified.

Originally a compound of 日 (pi₁, “sun”) +‎ 向か (muka, the 未然形 (mizenkei, “incomplete form”) of verb 向く (muku), “to face a direction”). The final -si is possibly either the 風 (si) affix meaning “wind”, or a suffix indicating direction as in 昔 (mukasi, “past”).

Noun

東 (*pi₁mukasi) (kana ひむかし)

1. the east

Citations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:東.

Descendants

• Japanese: 東 (hingashi → higashi)

See also

• 日向 (Pi₁muka)

---

Vietnamese

Han character

東: Hán Nôm readings: đông, đang

1. east; eastern

---

Yoron

Kanji

東

• Kun: あがり (agari, 東)

Etymology

From 上り (agari, “ascent, rise”) in reference to the direction where the sun rises or ascends.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔaɡaɾi/

Noun

東 (hiragana あがり, romaji agari)

1. east