Chinese word

东方

Pronunciation

Pinyindōng fāng

Meaning

  • nouneast

Example

东方国家有丰富的文化。dōng fāng guó jiā yǒu fēng fù de wén huà

Eastern countries have rich cultures.

Illustration for 东方 (east)

More examples

他来自东方。tā lái zì dōng fāng

He comes from the east.

Core concept

The side of the world marked by sunrise, extending to the lands and cultures of the East.

Common phrases

  • 来自东方lái zì dōng fāng

    from the east

  • 在东方zài dōng fāng

    in the east

Similar words

东dōng: The east direction as a basic one-character noun.
东边dōng biān: The area on the east side of a particular place.

Definition in Chinese

指太阳升起的方向，也用来表示地理上的东部地区或属于东方文化的国家和地区，常见于书面或地名中。zhǐ tài yáng shēng qǐ de fāng xiàng yě yòng lái biǎo shì dì lǐ shàng de dōng bù dì qū huò shǔ yú dōng fāng wén huà de guó jiā hé dì qū cháng jiàn yú shū miàn huò dì míng zhōng

Word origin

东方 (dōngfāng, "east") combines 东 (dōng, "east") with 方 (fāng, "direction or region"), so a direction word can also name an eastern part of the world.

Usage tips

  • English-speaking learners may expect a simple everyday direction word, but this term often has a formal tone when it names a region or its cultures.

Other meanings

  • the Orientnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word