東 Meaning, Reading, and Vocabulary Guide | Onyomi トウ · Kunyomi ひがし
The kanji 東 is a basic JLPT N5 character representing the direction 'East'.
It is read as 'トウ' (onyomi) or 'ひがし' (kunyomi) and is frequently used in daily life and place names.
You can easily memorize it by imagining the sun (日) rising behind a tree (木).
Kanji at a glance
Core meaning / core image
東 is a kanji that means 'East' among the cardinal directions. It is essential for words indicating place names, such as Japan's capital Tokyo (東京), or the direction of station exits.
Kanji structure breakdown
Mnemonic story
Imagine walking through a forest early in the morning. A round sun (日) is rising behind a large tree (木). The direction where the sun rises is East (東).
On'yomi and kun'yomi
On reading
Kun reading
Commonly used words
Example sentences
Mini quiz
Which of the following correctly matches the word containing the kanji '東' with its reading?
One-line summary
東 means 'East', depicting the sun (日) rising above a tree (木). It is frequently used in daily life with the onyomi トウ (as in Tokyo) or the kunyomi ひがし (as in East exit).
FAQ
How do I distinguish when to read 東 as 'とう' versus 'ひがし'?
Generally, when it combines with other kanji to indicate a place name or region (e.g., 東京, 関東), it is read with the onyomi 'とう'. When it stands alone to indicate the eastern direction or refers to an exit (東口), it is usually read with the kunyomi 'ひがし'.
Why is 口 in 東口 read as 'ぐち' instead of 'くち'?
This is due to 'rendaku' (sequential voicing), a phenomenon where the first consonant of the second word becomes voiced when two words combine into a compound word. Therefore, when ひがし (East) and くち (mouth/exit) combine, it becomes ひがしぐち to make pronunciation smoother.
