About
The character for "east" originally depicted the sun rising through trees, a pictorial representation of sunrise that directly linked the concept to the dawn and the cardinal direction from which light comes. Its traditional form, "東", structurally consists of the element for "sun" (日) positioned within the element for "tree" or "wood" (木), visually conveying this idea of the sun entangled in branches on the horizon. Over centuries, this concrete image became more abstract as the character solidified its primary meaning as a fixed directional marker. Its semantic range also expanded beyond simple geography to encompass broader cultural notions, such as "the East" as a symbolic or cultural entity, while the simplified form "东" retains the core concept through a more streamlined graphic structure that echoes the original composition.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
太阳从东方升起。
这是什么东西？
我来自东北。
他向东走了五公里。
东边的天空很蓝。
如果你往东走，就会看到公园。
东经一百二十度是北京时间的标准。
由于气候变暖，东亚地区的生态环境正在发生变化。