Dictionary › 东西

东西

dōng xi

Old HSK 1 HSK 3.0 level 1 2-character word Traditional 東西 Measure word 个、件

东西 (dōng xi) means "thing; stuff". It is an HSK 3.0 level 1 word, and was HSK 1 in the old six-level list.

What 东西 means

1. thing
2. stuff
3. person

Other readings

东西 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• dōng xīeast and west

The characters in 东西

• 东dōngeast; host (i.e. sitting on east side of guest); landlord
• 西xīwest

Example sentences

• 她偷东西。
  She steals.
• 混帐东西！
  You're a bastard!
• 给我东西吃。
  Bring me something to eat.
• 喝点东西吗？
  Want a drink?
• 你穿点东西。
  Get dressed.
• 她去买东西。
  She's going out to buy some things.

Words starting with 东西

• 东西方dōng xī fāngeast and west; east to west
• 东西南北dōng xī nán běieast west south north
• 东西德Dōng Xī DéEast and West Germany; refers to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and the…
• 东西方文化dōng xī fāng wén huàEastern and Western culture
• 东西周Dōng Xī ZhōuWestern Zhou (1045-771 BC) and Eastern Zhou (770-256 BC)
• 东西半球dōng xī bàn qiúEast and West hemispheres
• 东西宽dōng xī kuāneast-west distance
• 东西湖区Dōng xī hú QūDongxihu, a district of Wuhan City 武汉市
• 东西湖Dōng xī húsee 东西湖区

Words containing 东西

• 各奔东西gè bèn dōng xīto go separate ways (idiom); to part ways with sb; Taiwan pr. gè bēn dōng xī
• 老东西lǎo dōng xi(derog.) old fool; old bastard
• 不是东西bù shì dōng xi(derog.) to be a good-for-nothing; worthless nobody; no-good
• 两样东西liǎng yàng dōng xitwo distinct things
• 买东西mǎi dōng xito do one's shopping
• 坏东西huài dōng xibastard; scoundrel; rogue
• 狗东西gǒu dōng xiscumbag; scoundrel

Where 东西 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Objects, Home Items and Pets (HSK 1), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 1 word, with the rest of its level.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read dōng xi correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.