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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "east" in Japanese?
東
higashi
In Japanese, "east" is 東 (higashi).
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Pronunciation
東 is written using kanji. Romanised as higashi, it sounds roughly like "hee-gah-shee" to an English ear.
Writing and usage
Higashi (東) is one of the four cardinal directions and is one of the simplest and most common kanji. It appears in many place names across Japan.
Example sentence
太陽は東から昇ります。
Taiyou wa higashi kara noborimasu.
The sun rises from the east.
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How to remember 東
The stroke pattern can evoke the sun rising in the east. Higashi appears in Tokyo (East Capital) and hundreds of neighborhood names.
Related words
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 東
How do you pronounce 東?
東 is romanised as higashi. Say it roughly like "hee-gah-shee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.
Is 東 formal or casual?
東 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is 東 written in Japanese?
東 is written using kanji. Higashi (東) is one of the four cardinal directions and is one of the simplest and most common kanji.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
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"East" in other languages
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