How to pronounce dong xi (东西) in Chinese
Hear 东西 (dōngxi) spoken, see what it means, then record yourself for instant AI feedback on your pronunciation.
东西
dōngxi
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Characters & meanings
east
west (neutral in 东西 "thing")
Common mistake
The tone of 西 changes the meaning: neutral dōngxi means "thing", while full dōng xī means "east and west". For the everyday word, keep xi short and light.
Tone change in this word
As "thing", 西 reads neutral (dōngxi); it keeps its full first tone only in the literal "east-west" sense.
Example sentence
我要买东西。
Wǒ yào mǎi dōngxi.
I want to buy some things.
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