The character 东 — “east”: how to write it and what it means
east
The Chinese character 东 is read dōng and means “east”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 东
东 has 5 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 东, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
Words with 东
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 东?
东 has 5 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 东 mean?
东 means “east”. It appears in 东西 (“thing”), 东北 (“northeast”), 东南 (“southeast”), 东方 (“the East”).
How do you pronounce 东?
东 is read dōng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 东 have?
5 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 东 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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