Japanese word

西

Pronunciation

Romajinishi

Meaning

  • nounwest

Example

西へ行きます。nishi e i ki ma su

I go west.

Illustration for 西 (west)

More examples

学校は駅の西にあります。gak kō wa eki no nishi ni a ri ma su

The school is west of the station.

太陽は西に沈みます。tai yō wa nishi ni shizu mi ma su

The sun sets in the west.

Core concept

Marks the direction on the side where the sun sets, opposite east.

Common phrases

  • 西の方nishi no hō

    toward the west

  • 西側nishi gawa

    the west side

  • 西の空nishi no sora

    the western sky

Similar words

西側nishigawa: The side or area located toward the west.
西向きnishimuki: A position or orientation that faces west.

Definition in Japanese

基準となる場所から見て日が沈む側の方角。ki jun to na ru ba sho ka ra mi te hi ga shizu mu gawa no hō gaku

Word origin

The native Japanese word 西 (nishi, "west") appears in Old Japanese as nisi, while the character 西 (sei, "west") was borrowed from Chinese for writing it.

Usage tips

  • Japanese train stations often label a west-side exit 西口 (nishiguchi, "west exit"), making the direction useful in everyday navigation.

Opposites

Word lists with this word