东西

• Pinyin: dōng xi
• Hanzi breakdown: 东 (east) + 西 (west) — literally 'east-west,' idiomatically 'thing, stuff'

Meaning

Thing; stuff; object. A general word for any physical item or abstract matter.

One of the most versatile nouns in Chinese. Can refer to any physical object (买东西, buy things/go shopping), food (吃东西, eat something), or abstract matters. In colloquial speech, can also refer to a person, sometimes affectionately and sometimes disparagingly.

Examples

1. 你买了什么东西？ What did you buy?
2. 我想吃点东西。 I want to eat something.
3. 这个东西多少钱？ How much does this thing cost?

Usage Guide

Context: shopping, everyday

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 这是什么东西？(What is this thing?)
• 我去买点东西。(I'm going to buy some stuff.)

Don't Say

• 你是个好东西 (Calling a person 东西 can be very rude — it implies they are worthless)

Origin & History

Literally 'east-west' (东 east + 西 west). The origin of meaning 'thing' is debated — one theory is that ancient markets ran east-west, so buying things meant going east and west.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal