Key Facts
- Hangul: 동쪽; Revised Romanization: dongjjok
- Part of speech: noun (direction)
- Origin: mixed (Sino-Korean plus native), hanja 東 (east) + native 쪽 (side)
- Register: neutral; common in directions and weather talk
East in Korean: What Does 동쪽 Mean?
동쪽 is a direction noun meaning "east". The register is neutral, used in speech and writing alike, and especially in directions and talk about the weather or the sun.
How Do You Pronounce 동쪽?
Two syllables, dong-jjok. 쪽 is spelled with the tense ㅉ, which Revised Romanization writes as jj: a firm j with no puff of air.
Example Sentences with 동쪽
해는 동쪽에서 떠요.
Haeneun dongjjogeseo tteoyo.
The sun rises in the east.
해는 sets the sun as the topic, and 동쪽에서 gives where it rises, with 에서 marking the starting point. 떠요 means rises.
우리 집은 학교 동쪽에 있어요.
Uri jibeun hakgyo dongjjoge isseoyo.
My house is east of the school.
학교 동쪽에 means to the east of the school: reference place first, then the direction, then 에.
동쪽으로 가면 바다가 있어요.
Dongjjogeuro gamyeon badaga isseoyo.
If you go east, there is the sea.
동쪽으로 uses 으로 for the direction of travel, and 가면 means if you go. The second half says what you find.
Common Phrases and Collocations
동쪽 바다 is the eastern sea, 동쪽으로 가다 is to go east and 동쪽 하늘 is the eastern sky. 동쪽 goes before the noun it describes.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 동쪽 바다 | eastern sea |
| 동쪽으로 가다 | to go east |
| 동쪽 하늘 | the eastern sky |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners shorten the direction to its Sino-Korean element.
Wrong: 동 on its own for "east" in everyday directions.
Correct: 동쪽. The bare 동 mostly appears inside compounds such as 동해 (East Sea). Note too that 동쪽 is a mixed word: 동 is Sino-Korean but 쪽 is native, so only the first part has a hanja.
동쪽 Compared with Related Words
Two entries clarify the pieces. 동 alone appears in compounds such as 동해, and 서쪽 is the opposite direction.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 동쪽 | east | This page's word |
| 동 | east (Sino-Korean) | 동 alone appears in compounds like 동해 'East Sea'. |
| 서쪽 | west | 서쪽 is the opposite. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
동쪽 is a mixed word. The first part is the hanja 東, meaning east, and the second part, 쪽, is native Korean for side.
Finding the Museum from a Station
A traveler asks a local person for directions outside a station. The local uses a compass direction, so the traveler checks where to begin.
Traveler
박물관은 어디에 있어요?
Bangmulgwaneun eodie isseoyo?
Where is the museum?
Local
역 동쪽에 있어요.
Yeok dongjjoge isseoyo.
It’s east of the station.
Traveler
여기서 동쪽으로 가면 돼요?
Yeogiseo dongjjogeuro gamyeon dwaeyo?
Should I go east from here?
Local
네. 동쪽으로 쭉 가세요.
Ne. Dongjjogeuro jjuk gaseyo.
Yes. Go straight east.
역 동쪽에 places the museum relative to the station. 여기서 sets the traveler’s current location as the starting point. 동쪽으로 then gives the direction of movement. The exchange does not say the museum is inside the station’s eastern exit; it describes where it lies beyond the station.
쭉 means “straight on” or “all the way” in this instruction. The traveler still needs to know which way is east, perhaps from a map or a gesture. Compass words alone do not supply a street name or distance.
Does 동쪽 Mean the Same Thing as “Right”?
동쪽 is a compass direction. 오른쪽 means the right-hand side relative to a person or another reference. When you face north, east is on your right. When you face south, east is on your left. Turning your body changes your right-hand side but leaves east in the same direction.
A map may place north at the top, but check its compass marker before assuming the right edge is east. This matters when following a route on a phone that rotates the map to match your movement. The direction word stays fixed even when the screen turns.
Where Will You Hear 동쪽?
Weather reports use 동쪽 지역 for eastern areas and 동쪽 하늘 for the eastern sky. The reference area matters: the eastern part of a city is not automatically Korea’s east coast. A named city, region or map gives the direction its local reference.
In property descriptions, 동향 means “east-facing.” It describes an orientation, such as which way the main windows face, rather than saying the home is east of another building. 동쪽에 answers “where?” relative to a place; 동향 answers “which way does it face?”
동문 can label an east gate at a campus, palace or other large site. Here the short element 동 appears inside a compound, while 동쪽 remains the useful full direction word in a sentence. The sign labels an entrance, not necessarily the direction you must walk after passing through it.
Complete the Compass Set
| Korean | Meaning | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 서쪽 | west | The opposite of 동쪽. |
| 남쪽 | south | The direction opposite north. |
| 북쪽 | north | The direction to check first on many maps. |
| 방향 | direction | Ask which way a route or object points. |
The directions and position lesson combines compass words with location expressions. Notice the repeating ending 쪽 in the four compass nouns. Once you recognize that shared part, the first syllable carries the distinction between east, west, south and north.
Quick Self-Test
- Which marker gives direction of movement: 동쪽에 or 동쪽으로?
- If you turn around, does 동쪽 switch to the opposite compass direction?
- Does 동향 describe a location east of a station or an east-facing orientation?
Show answers
- 동쪽으로 gives the direction of movement.
- No. East stays fixed; your left and right change.
- An east-facing orientation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "east" in Korean?
Say 동쪽 (dongjjok). 해는 동쪽에서 떠요 means the sun rises in the east. Add 에 for a location, 으로 for a direction of travel and 에서 for a starting point.
Is 동 the same as 동쪽?
Not in everyday use. 동 is the Sino-Korean element for east and appears in compounds such as 동해, the East Sea. 동쪽 is the full direction word you use in sentences.
How do you say "go east"?
Say 동쪽으로 가다, with 으로 marking the direction. In a sentence: 동쪽으로 가면 바다가 있어요 means if you go east, there is the sea.
What is the opposite of 동쪽?
The opposite is 서쪽, west. It is built the same way: the Sino-Korean 서 (西) plus the native 쪽.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Korean Directions Vocabulary places 동쪽 with the other words of its topic.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Flashcards: put 동쪽 into the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next entry: The directions list continues with west, so go on to west.