JLPT N5 kanji. Readings, meaning, and how the character is built.
東 means east. It is a JLPT N5 kanji written in 8 strokes, read ひがし or とう. It appears in 関東 (eastern half of Japan / including Tokyo) and 東西 (East and West / whole country).
東 is written in 8 strokes, in the order numbered below. Order matters: it is what makes handwriting legible, and it is how the character is looked up in a paper dictionary.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 東 | ひがし | east |
| 関東 | かんとう | eastern half of Japan / including Tokyo |
| 東西 | とうざい | East and West / whole country |
東 tends to carry the sound とう. They carry it; they do not all mean the same thing.
| Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 東 | とう | east |
| 凍 | とう | frozen, congeal |
| 棟 | とう | ridgepole, ridge |
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