東 — JLPT N5 Kanji
東 (トウ/ひがし): east. JLPT N5 essential kanji.
東
JLPT Level: N5 | Strokes: 8 | Radical: 木 (tree)
Readings
| Type | Reading | Romaji | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-yomi | トウ | too | east in compounds |
| Kun-yomi | ひがし | higashi | east |
Meanings
- East
- Eastern
Vocabulary
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 東 | ひがし | higashi | east | N5 |
| 東京 | とうきょう | Tookyoo | Tokyo | N5 |
| 東口 | ひがしぐち | higashiguchi | east exit | N5 |
| 東洋 | とうよう | tooyoo | the East, Orient | N3 |
| 東南 | とうなん | toonan | southeast | N4 |
Stroke Order
1-4. 木 (tree) component: horizontal, vertical, left diagonal, right diagonal 5-8. Additional strokes forming the sun rising through the tree
Memory Aid
東 = sun rising through a tree. The sun rises in the east — when you see the sun (日) caught in a tree (木), you're facing east. A perfect mnemonic pictograph.
Common Confusion
東 (east) vs 束 (bundle) — 東 has an extra horizontal stroke; 束 does not. Remember: East = where the sun rises through the full tree.