Recognize 東 in everyday Japanese, learn its meanings (east) and read it as part of complete words.

The idea

A kanji can have Japanese-origin readings (kun) and readings borrowed through Chinese (on); learn each reading with its word. Compare 東（ひがし） and 東京（とうきょう） in the table. 東 has 8 strokes; follow their order in the linked KanjiVG diagram.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
東ひがしeast
東京とうきょうTokyo
東口ひがしぐちeast exit
東西とうざいeast and west

Examples

  • 東ひがしの空そらが赤あかいです。The sky in the east is red.
  • 東ひがしに大おおきな山やまがあります。There is a big mountain to the east.
  • 駅えきの東口ひがしぐちで待まちます。I will wait at the station’s east exit.
  • 今日きょうは電車でんしゃで東京とうきょうへ行いきます。Today I am going to Tokyo by train.
  • 地図ちずで東ひがしと西にしを探さがします。I look for east and west on the map.
  • この道みちは東西とうざいに長ながいです。This road stretches a long way from east to west.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

東 is read ひがし, while 東京 is read とうきょう. Learn the reading of each complete word; the character does not have just one pronunciation. 東 is ひがし in 東口, but とう in 東京. 西 is the opposite direction, west.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 東 in hiragana.

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    ひがし

    東 is read ひがし; the expression means “east”.

  2. Write the reading of 東京 in hiragana.

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    とうきょう

    東京 is read とうきょう; the expression means “Tokyo”.

  3. Fill in the missing kanji: ＿京（とうきょう）.

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    東

    東 completes 東京, read とうきょう; the expression means “Tokyo”.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 東 from memory, and read 東 and 東京 aloud. Check both the readings and meanings.