西 — how to write the kanji for “west”

西 (“west” and “Spain”) is a JLPT N5 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 259th most used kanji. KANJIDIC2 gives it 3 on readings and 1 kun reading, so the word decides how you say it. KANJIDIC2 files it under the radical 襾 (“cover”). On its own it is the word nishi, “west”. Read sei, it forms 西欧 (“Western Europe”), 大西洋 (“Atlantic Ocean”) and 南西 (“southwest”); the native reading nishi gives 西側 (“west side”) and 西日本 (“western Japan”). Chinese reads it xī, “west”, at HSK 1.

Strokes

6

JLPT

N5

Radical

襾 (“cover”)

On

セイ, サイ, ス

Kun

にし