KaiwaGo東 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
東 means “east”. It is written with 8 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: トウ (tou). Kun’yomi: ひがし (higashi).
How to write 東 (stroke order)
Write 東 in 8 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 東
Trace 東 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 東
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | トウ (tou) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | ひがし (higashi) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 東 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 東
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 東 | ひがし higashi | east | |
| 東京 | とうきょう toukyou | Tokyo |
東 (higashi) means “east”.
東京 (toukyou) means “Tokyo”.
FAQ
What does 東 mean in Japanese?
東 means “east”. Common words with it are 東 (higashi, “east”) and 東京 (toukyou, “Tokyo”).
How many strokes does 東 have?
東 has 8 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 8.
How do you read 東?
The on’yomi is トウ (tou) and the kun’yomi is ひがし (higashi). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 東 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 東 is kanji number 93 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.