HSK · Level 47
120 words
Chinese word
西方
Pronunciation
Pinyinxī fāng
Meaning
- nounwest
Example
他来自西方国家。tā lái zì xī fāng guó jiā
He comes from a Western country.
More examples
很多学生想去西方国家留学。hěn duō xué shēng xiǎng qù xī fāng guó jiā liú xué
Many students want to study abroad in Western countries.
Core concept
A western direction that grows into a broad label for countries and cultures linked with Europe and North America.
Common phrases
西方国家xī fāng guó jiā
Western countries
来自西方lái zì xī fāng
come from the West
在西方工作zài xī fāng gōng zuò
work in the West
Similar words
西方国家xī fāng guó jiā: A group of Western countries, such as those in Europe and North America.
Definition in Chinese
指地理方位的西边；引申为欧洲、北美等具有相似文化或政治背景的西方国家和西方文化。zhǐ dì lǐ fāng wèi de xī biān yǐn shēn wèi ōu zhōu béi měi děng jù yǒu xiāng sì wén huà huò zhèng zhì bèi jǐng de xī fāng guó jiā hé xī fāng wén huà
Word origin
西 (xī, "west") + 方 (fāng, "direction") forms 西方 (xīfāng, "the west"); the direction name then extends to western regions and cultures.
Usage tips
- Unlike English, Chinese does not add an adjective ending here, so the same form can stand before a noun as a modifier.
Other meanings
- Western worldnoun
- Europe and the United Statesnoun
Opposites
- 东方dōng fāngEastnoun
Related words
- 西方人xī fāng rénWesternernoun