西

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 太陽は西に沈みます。▶ —
   The sun sets in the west.
2. 西口の改札で会いましょう。▶ —
   Let's meet at the west ticket gate.

Collocations

Mnemonic

西 nishi — onyomi せい / さい; both 西洋 and 関西 fork from this single character. 関西 is 関所 (an old checkpoint) + 西 — meaning the land west of those checkpoints. 関東 and 関西, Tokyo and Osaka, differ in speech, in food, in temperament, and the identity-jokes of the Japanese always bloom along that border. The kanji 西 first pictured a bird returning to its nest — its sense grew toward sunset.

Quick check

1. Kanji breakdown of 関西?

   • West (西) of the old toll checkpoints (関所) = Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe area
   • West where people wore crowns
   • Closed gate of the west
   • Coincidental kanji combo