東 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
東 simply means "east." You'll meet it in two main roles: as a standalone direction word (東 = ひがし, "east") and as a building block inside place names and compounds (東京 "Tokyo," 東北 "the Tohoku region," 中東 "the Middle East"). Because Japan reads directions and maps constantly — train exits, weather, regions — 東 is one of the most useful early kanji to lock in. Spot it in a word and you can bet "east" is somewhere in the meaning.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | ひがし | 東 (east), 東口 (ひがしぐち, east exit) |
| on'yomi | トウ | 東京 (とうきょう, Tokyo), 東北 (とうほく, Tohoku), 中東 (ちゅうとう, Middle East), 東洋 (とうよう, the East) |
Here's a rule of thumb that works for most kanji: the kun'yomi (ひがし) tends to appear when the kanji stands alone or names a plain direction, while the on'yomi (トウ) shows up inside two-kanji compounds. So 東 on its own is ひがし, but 東京 is とうきょう. One handy exception to remember: 東口 ("east exit," common at stations) keeps the kun reading ひがし — read it ひがしぐち, not とう.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 8. Write the long horizontal stroke and the central vertical first, then fill in the box-like 日 shape, and finish with the two diagonal "legs" sweeping out at the bottom — left, then right.
- Radical: the official radical is 木 (tree). You can see the tree shape running down the middle of 東, with the extra strokes added across it. A classic memory image is the sun (日) rising behind a tree (木) — the sun comes up in the east, which is exactly what 東 means.
Tying the shape to that sunrise-behind-a-tree picture makes 東 much easier to recall than memorizing eight separate strokes.
Common words using 東
Notice the reading split in action: the lone direction 東 takes ひがし, and most compounds (東京, 東北, 中東, 東洋) flip to トウ. The word to watch is 東口 — it keeps the kun reading ひがしぐち.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは東の空を見ました。
ヤッタンは ひがしの そらを みました。
Yattan looked at the eastern sky.
東 standing alone — the kun'yomi ひがし reading.
モチは東京で先生に会いました。
モチは とうきょうで せんせいに あいました。
Mochi met the teacher in Tokyo.
東京 uses the on'yomi トウ — a compound, so the reading flips.
弟は駅の東口で待っています。
おとうとは えきの ひがしぐちで まっています。
My little brother is waiting at the station's east exit.
東口 keeps the kun reading: ひがしぐち, not とう — a useful exception.
Quick recap
- 東 = east; 8 strokes; built on the 木 (tree) radical.
- ひがし when it stands alone or means a plain direction (東, 東口); トウ in most compounds (東京, 東北).
- Watch 東口 = ひがしぐち (kun, not on) — a common station word.
- Learn it as a set with 西 (west), 南 (south), and 北 (north).
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 東 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 東 on its own vs in 東京?
On its own, 東 is the kun'yomi ひがし ('east'). In 東京 it's the on'yomi トウ (東京 = とうきょう, 'Tokyo'). As a rule, two-kanji compounds take the on'yomi.
How many strokes does 東 have?
東 has 8 strokes. Its official radical is 木 (tree), which you can see running down the middle of the character.
Why is 東口 read ひがしぐち and not とうぐち?
東口 ('east exit') keeps the kun reading ひがし because it pairs a direction with the everyday word 口 (くち/ぐち, 'mouth/opening'). You'll see it on station signs across Japan.
What are the other direction kanji?
The four compass directions are 東 (ひがし, east), 西 (にし, west), 南 (みなみ, south), and 北 (きた, north). Learning them as a group makes each one easier to remember.