东西 (dōngxi)

东西 literally combines East (东) and West (西) but in everyday Mandarin it simply means "thing" or "stuff." It is the go-to word for any physical object when you do not know or need to specify its exact name. Note the neutral tone on 西 in this compound: dōngxi, not dōngxī.

Meanings

[noun] Thing; stuff; object. Refers to any concrete item or possession.

Example Sentences

你买了什么东西？ Nǐ mǎi le shénme dōngxi? What did you buy?

桌子上有很多东西。 Zhuōzi shàng yǒu hěn duō dōngxi. There are many things on the table.

我的包里没有什么重要的东西。 Wǒ de bāo lǐ méiyǒu shénme zhòngyào de dōngxi. There is nothing important in my bag.

出门前别忘了带你的东西。 Chūmén qián bié wàng le dài nǐ de dōngxi. Don't forget to take your things before you go out.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
买东西 (mǎi dōngxi)	to go shopping; to buy things
吃东西 (chī dōngxi)	to eat (something)
带东西 (dài dōngxi)	to bring things
什么东西 (shénme dōngxi)	what thing; what
好东西 (hǎo dōngxi)	a good thing; a nice item

Memory Hook

East meets West: 东 (East) + 西 (West) covers the whole world between them. When you say "stuff," you mean things from all over — so 东西 covers everything you can hold in your hands.