# 東西
## Chinese

* 東西

### Etymology
#### "thing; stuff"

Unknown. Many theories exist. The mainstream theory states that people in ancient times (Some theories might claim that the vocab origins from the Han or Tang Dynasty) would go to East and West markets to buy goods respectively, and over time this vocab became a pronoun for "things" in vernacular language. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “needs a summary”)

### Pronunciation 1

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): dōngxī
    (Zhuyin): ㄉㄨㄥ ㄒㄧ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): dung$^1$ sai$^1$
* Hakka (Sixian, PFS): tûng-sî
* Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): tang-sai
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^1$ton-shi$_1$
* Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): dong$^1$ si
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: dōngxī
*** Zhuyin: ㄉㄨㄥ ㄒㄧ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: dongsi
*** Wade–Giles: tung$^1$-hsi$^1$
*** Yale: dūng-syī
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dongshi
*** Palladius: дунси (dunsi)
*** Sinological IPA : /tʊŋ⁵⁵ ɕi⁵⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: dung$^1$ sai$^1$
*** Yale: dūng sāi
*** Cantonese Pinyin: dung$^1$ sai$^1$
*** Guangdong Romanization: dung$^1$ sei$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /tʊŋ⁵⁵ sɐi̯⁵⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: tûng-sî
*** Hakka Romanization System: dung$^ˊ$ xi$^ˊ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: dung$^1$ xi$^1$
*** Sinological IPA: /tuŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ si²⁴/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tang-sai
*** Tâi-lô: tang-sai
*** Phofsit Daibuun: dangsay
*** IPA (Xiamen): /taŋ⁴⁴⁻²² sai⁴⁴/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /taŋ³³ sai³³/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /taŋ⁴⁴⁻²² sai⁴⁴/
*** IPA (Taipei): /taŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ sai⁴⁴/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /taŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ sai⁴⁴/
* Wu
** (Northern: Shanghai)
*** Wugniu: $^1$ton-shi$_1$
*** MiniDict: ton$^平$ shi$^平$
*** Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): $^1$ton-xi$_1$
*** Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /toŋ⁵⁵ ɕi²¹/
* Xiang
** (Changsha)
*** Wiktionary: dong$^1$ si
*** Sinological IPA (old-style): /tʊŋ³³ si³/
*** Sinological IPA (new-style): /tən³³ ɕi³/
* Middle Chinese: tuwng sej
Rime :
| Character | 東 | 西 |
| Reading # | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 端 (5) | 心 (16) |
| Final (韻) | 東 (1) | 齊 (39) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open | Open |
| Division (等) | I | IV |
| Fanqie | 德紅切 | 先稽切 |
| Baxter | tuwng | sej |
| Reconstructions |||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /tuŋ/ | /sei/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /tuŋ/ | /sei/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /tuŋ/ | /sɛi/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /təwŋ/ | /sɛj/ |
| Li Rong | /tuŋ/ | /sei/ |
| Wang Li | /tuŋ/ | /siei/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /tuŋ/ | /siei/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | dōng | xī |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | dung$^1$ | sai$^1$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*tˤoŋ s-nˤər/
    (Zhengzhang): /*toːŋ sɯːl/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 東 | 西 |
| Reading # | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | dōng | xī |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ tuwng › | ‹ sej › |
| Old Chinese | /*tˁoŋ/ (< *tˁoŋʔ ?) | /*s-nˁər/ |
| English | east | west |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. |||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 東 | 西 |
| Reading # | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| No. | 2435 | 13236 |
| Phonetic component | 東 | 西 |
| Rime group | 東 | 微 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 東 | 西 |
| Old Chinese | /*toːŋ/ | /*sɯːl/ |
| Notes | 種（種籽）初文，甲金文象種皮甲坼萌生根芽， 參敕字陳字注 | |

#### Noun

東西
* east and west
* nearby; vicinity
* everywhere
* (literary) seventy to eighty years old

#### Adverb

東西
* from east to west
    From: 1929, Zhao Erxun (lead editor), Draft History of Qing
    Āfùhàn, jí Àiwūhǎn. Qí guó běi jiè Bùhā'ěr, nán jiè Bǐlùzhī, dōng jiè Yìndù, xī jiè Bōsī, dōngxī èrqiān yú lǐ. [Pinyin]
    Afghanistan (Afuhan), is [also transcribed as] Aiwuhan. This country borders Bukhara to its north, Balochistan to its south, India to its east, and Persia to its west. It spans more than two thousand li from east to west.

#### Derived terms

* 古今東西 / 古今东西 (gǔjīndōngxī)
* 東西南北 / 东西南北 (dōngxīnánběi)

#### See also

* 南北 (nánběi)

### Pronunciation 2

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): dōngxi, dōngxī
       (Zhuyin): ㄉㄨㄥ ˙ㄒㄧ, ㄉㄨㄥ ㄒㄧ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): dong$^1$ xi$^1$
    (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): dǒngxi
    (Nanjing, Nanjing Pinyin): dònsi
    (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): дунщи (dunxi, I-I)
* Cantonese (Jyutping): dung$^1$ sai$^1$
* Gan (Wiktionary): dung$^1$ xi
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): tûng-sî
    (Hailu, HRS): dung$^ˋ$ si$^ˋ$
    (Meixian, Guangdong): dung$^1$ xi$^1$
* Jin (Wiktionary): dung$^1$ xi$^{1-3}$
* Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): tong-si
* Wu (Wugniu)
** (Northern): $^1$ton-shi$_1$ / $^1$ton $^0$shi
** (Jinhua): $^1$ton-sie$_1$
* Xiang
    (Changsha, Wiktionary): dong$^1$ si
    (Loudi, Wiktionary): dong$^1$ si
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: dōngxi
*** Zhuyin: ㄉㄨㄥ ˙ㄒㄧ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: dongsi̊
*** Wade–Giles: tung$^1$-hsi$^5$
*** Yale: dūng-syi
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dong.shi
*** Palladius: дунси (dunsi)
*** Sinological IPA : /tʊŋ⁵⁵ ɕi²/
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: dōngxī
*** Zhuyin: ㄉㄨㄥ ㄒㄧ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: dongsi
*** Wade–Giles: tung$^1$-hsi$^1$
*** Yale: dūng-syī
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dongshi
*** Palladius: дунси (dunsi)
*** Sinological IPA : /tʊŋ⁵⁵ ɕi⁵⁵/
* dōngxi - standard in China;
* dōngxī - common in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and South China.

#### Noun

東西
* (chiefly Mandarin, Gan, Hakka, Jin, Xiang) thing; stuff; something (Classifier: 個／个; 件; 樣／样)
       Wǒ yǒu dōngxi yào gěi nǐ. [Pinyin]
       I have something for you.
       Bǎ wǒ de dōngxi huán gěi wǒ. [Pinyin]
       Give my stuff back.
       Wǒ hái yǒu hěn duō dōngxi yào xué. [Pinyin]
       I still have a lot to learn.
       Bù cúnzài de dōngxi, wǒ zěnme nénggòu kàn de dào? [Pinyin]
       How can I see that which does not exist?
* Referring to a person or animal with emotion.
    你不是個東西！／你不是个东西！ ― Nǐ bùshì ge dōngxī! ― You're good for nothing!

##### Usage notes

* In Mandarin, whilst 東西／东西 can mean a thing in either a physical or abstract sense, 事情 (shìqing) only means a thing in an abstract sense.

##### Synonyms

* 物品 (wùpǐn)
| Variety | Location | Words |
| Classical Chinese | Classical Chinese | 物 |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 東西 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 東西 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 東西 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Chifeng | 東西 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Hulunbuir (Hailar) | 東西 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Harbin | 東西 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Shenyang | 東西 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Malaysia | 東西 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 東西 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Tianjin | 東西 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Tangshan | 東西 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Cangzhou | 東西 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Baoding | 東西 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Shijiazhuang | 物件兒 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 東西, 黃子 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai (Muping) | 東西, 東兒, 物兒 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Qingdao | 東西 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Luoyang | 東西 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Wanrong | 東西 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Zhengzhou | 東西 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 東西 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xining | 東西 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xuzhou | 東西 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan) | 東西 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Yinchuan | 東西 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Lanzhou | 東西 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Ürümqi | 東西 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 東西 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chongqing | 東西, 家私 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 東西, 家伙 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guiyang | 東西 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Kunming | 東西 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 東西 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liuzhou | 東西, 物件 rural |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nanjing | 東西 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 東子, 東西 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nantong | 東西 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 東西 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Ting Kok) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Macau | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Panyu) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Conghua) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Zengcheng) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) | 閒嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shunde) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Sanshui) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Zhongshan (Shiqi) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Doumen) | 閒嘢 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Baisha) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Xinhui) | 閒嘢 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 閒嘢, 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Kaiping (Chikan) | 閒嘢, 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Enping (Niujiang) | 家伙 |
| Cantonese | Heshan (Yayao) | 閒嘢 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Qingyuan | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Fogang | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Yingde (Hanguang) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Yangshan | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Lianshan (Butian) | 功夫, 東西 |
| Cantonese | Lianzhou (Qingshui; Sihui) | 功夫 |
| Cantonese | Shaoguan | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Shaoguan (Qujiang) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Renhua | 嘢, 東西 |
| Cantonese | Lechang | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Zhaoqing (Gaoyao) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Sihui | 閒嘢 |
| Cantonese | Guangning | 閒嘢 |
| Cantonese | Deqing | 東西 |
| Cantonese | Huaiji | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Fengkai (Nanfeng) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Yunfu | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Xinxing | 家伙 |
| Cantonese | Luoding | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Yangjiang | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Xinyi | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Lianjiang | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Nanning | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Penang (Guangfu) | 嘢 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 嘢 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 東西 |
| Gan | Lichuan | 東西 |
| Gan | Pingxiang | 東西 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 東西 |
| Hakka | Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) | 閒嘢, 嘢 |
| Hakka | Huiyang | 東西 |
| Hakka | Dongguan (Qingxi) | 東西 |
| Hakka | Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) | 東西 |
| Hakka | Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) | 嘢 |
| Hakka | Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) | 東西 |
| Hakka | Changting | 東西 |
| Hakka | Wuping | 東西 |
| Hakka | Liancheng | 東西, 物事 |
| Hakka | Ninghua | 東西 |
| Hakka | Yudu | 東西 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 東西 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 東西 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 東西 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 東西 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 東西 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 物件 |
| Hakka | Hong Kong | 東西 |
| Hakka | Sabah (Bao'an) | 東西 |
| Hakka | Senai (Huiyang) | 東西 |
| Huizhou | Jixi | 物事 |
| Huizhou | Shexian | 物事 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 東西 |
| Jin | Xinzhou | 東西 |
| Jin | Linhe | 東西 |
| Jin | Jining | 東西 |
| Jin | Hohhot | 東西 |
| Jin | Zhangjiakou | 東西 |
| Jin | Handan | 東西 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 物事 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou (Dikou) | 物二 |
| Northern Min | Songxi | 物事 |
| Northern Min | Zhenghe | 二 |
| Northern Min | Zhenghe (Zhenqian) | 二 |
| Northern Min | Jianyang | 事 |
| Northern Min | Wuyishan | 事 |
| Northern Min | Pucheng (Shibei) | 契 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 乇 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou (Changle) | 乇 |
| Eastern Min | Fuqing | 乇 |
| Eastern Min | Pingtan | 乇 |
| Eastern Min | Yongtai | 乇 |
| Eastern Min | Gutian | 乇 |
| Eastern Min | Fu'an | 乇 |
| Eastern Min | Ningde | 乇 |
| Eastern Min | Shouning | 乇 |
| Eastern Min | Zhouning | 乇 |
| Eastern Min | Fuding | 乇 |
| Eastern Min | Matsu | 乇 |
| Eastern Min | Sitiawan (Gutian) | 乇 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 物件, 物 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen (Tong'an) | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Jinjiang | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Nan'an | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Shishi | 物件, 物 |
| Southern Min | Hui'an | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Anxi | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Yongchun | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Dehua | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou (Longhai) | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou (Changtai) | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Hua'an | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Nanjing | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Pinghe | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Zhangpu | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Yunxiao | 物仔 |
| Southern Min | Zhao'an | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Dongshan | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 物件 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Sanxia) | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung | 物仔, 物件 |
| Southern Min | Yilan | 物仔, 物件 |
| Southern Min | Changhua (Lukang) | 物, 物件 |
| Southern Min | Taichung | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 物仔, 物件 |
| Southern Min | Hsinchu | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Kinmen | 物, 物件 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Magong) | 物, 物件 |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Longyan | 物 |
| Southern Min | Zhangping | 物 |
| Southern Min | Datian | 物事 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 物件, 物 |
| Southern Min | Shantou | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Lufeng | 前後 |
| Southern Min | Haifeng | 零細 |
| Southern Min | Bangkok (Teochew) | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Johor Bahru (Teochew) | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | 物件 |
| Southern Min | Leizhou | 物 |
| Southern Min | Wenchang | 物 |
| Southern Min | Haikou | 物 |
| Southern Min | Qionghai | 物 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hainanese) | 物 |
| Puxian Min | Putian | 物乇 |
| Puxian Min | Xianyou | 物乇 |
| Central Min | Yong'an | 貨 |
| Central Min | Sanming (Sanyuan) | 貨 |
| Central Min | Sanming (Shaxian) | 貨 |
| Zhongshan Min | Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) | 嘢 |
| Southern Pinghua | Nanning (Tingzi) | 嘢 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 物事, 東西 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Chongming) | 物事 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 物事 |
| Wu | Tongxiang | 東西 |
| Wu | Danyang | 東西 |
| Wu | Hangzhou | 東西 |
| Wu | Ningbo | 東西 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 物事, 物色, 名堂 |
| Wu | Jinhua | 東西 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 東西, 家伙 |
| Xiang | Shuangfeng | 東西, 家伙 |

##### Derived terms

* 不是東西 / 不是东西 (bùshì dōngxi)
* 小東西 / 小东西 (xiǎodōngxi)
* 老東西 / 老东西 (lǎodōngxi)

##### Descendants

* → White Hmong: toobxib

## Japanese

Kanji in this term :
| 東 | 西 |
| とう Grade: 2 | さい > ざい Grade: 2 |
| on'yomi ||

### Etymology

From Middle Chinese 東西 (MC tuwng sej). (Can this etymology be sourced?) The sai of 西 changes to zai due to rendaku (連濁).

### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) とーざい [tóꜜòzàì] (Atamadaka –)
* IPA: [to̞ːza̠i]

### Noun

東(とう)西(ざい) • (tōzai)
* east and west
* (by extension) all over, here and there
* Orient and Occident
* (slang) a name of a good or money, originally a Chinese slang term

#### Derived terms

* 古(こ)今(こん)東(とう)西(ざい) (kokon tōzai, “all times and places”)
* 東(とう)西(ざい)南(なん)北(ぼく) (tōzai nanboku, “east, west, south and north”)
* 東(とう)西(ざい)冷(れい)戦(せん) (Tōzai Reisen, “Cold War”)

#### Related terms

* 南(なん)北(ぼく) (nanboku): north and south - literally, south and north
* 和(わ)洋(よう) (wayō, “Japan and Europe”)

### Interjection

東(とう)西(ざい) • (tōzai)
* Synonym of 東西東西 (“your attention please; hear ye”)

### References

* ↑ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* ↑ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN