L35. Daily Japanese Kanji — Day 35: 西 (west)
Days 31-40
R-report
[Day 35] 西 - west
The kanji 西 means “west.” It appears in directions, place names, and compounds that refer to western places or the western side of something (for example, station exits, neighborhoods, or cultural terms like “the West”). Readings: On'yomi: セイ, サイ — used in many compounds such as 西洋 (せいよう / seiyō "the West") and 西暦 (せいれき / seireki "AD"). Kun'yomi: にし (nishi) — used for the standalone direction 西 and combinations like 西口 (にしぐち / nishiguchi "west exit"). Mnemonic tip: Imagine the kanji as a simple boxed symbol for the setting sun on the west horizon — the box points you toward the western side.
Readings
On'yomi: **セイ / サイ** (sei / sai) Kun'yomi: **にし** (nishi)
Related words
- 西（にし / nishi） — west. - 駅の**西**にスーパーがあります。 (Eki no nishi ni sūpā ga arimasu. / There is a supermarket to the west of the station.)
- 西口（にしぐち / nishiguchi） — west exit. - 改札の前で**西口**に行きます。 (Kaisatsu no mae de nishiguchi ni ikimasu. / I will go to the west exit in front of the ticket gate.)
- 西洋（せいよう / seiyō） — the West; Western countries or Western style. - 彼は**西洋**の映画が好きです。 (Kare wa seiyō no eiga ga suki desu. / He likes Western movies.)
- 西側（にしがわ / nishigawa） — west side. - 建物の**西側**に庭があります。 (Tatemono no nishigawa ni niwa ga arimasu. / There is a garden on the west side of the building.)
- 西日（にしび / nishibi） — westering sun; strong afternoon sunlight from the west. - 夏は**西日**が強くて部屋が暑くなる。 (Natsu wa nishibi ga tsuyokute heya ga atsuku naru. / In summer the westering sun is strong and the room gets hot.)