eastern

eastern — adjective

1. on the east side of a place, or coming from that direction.

1.形容詞A2
釋義

on the east side of a place, or coming from that direction.

例句

Naoko lives in the eastern part of the city, near the river.

eastern part of [a place]

The eastern wall of the old library has a large crack in it.

同義詞
  • east

    Used in fixed names and for exact positions; 'eastern' is broader and often interchangeable for general areas.

  • easterly

    More common for wind direction and movement; less common for describing a fixed location.

反義詞

文法句型

eastern + noun

be + eastern

用法筆記

Unlike 'east,' which is used for fixed or formal names (East Africa, East Coast) and for exact positions (east of the river), 'eastern' describes a broad area within a region. 'Eastern' can be used both before a noun (attributive) and after a linking verb (predicative), though attributive use is more common.

常見錯誤

❌The wind is coming from eastern.
✅The wind is coming from the east.
💡'Eastern' is an adjective and needs a noun to modify it.
❌She moved to east Taiwan.
✅She moved to eastern Taiwan.
💡For general areas within a region, use 'eastern'; 'east' is for fixed names or exact positions.

2. belonging to or describing the countries and cultures of Asia, especially East A

2.形容詞B1
釋義

belonging to or describing the countries and cultures of Asia, especially East Asia.

例句

Christopher has been studying eastern philosophy and meditation for years.

eastern philosophy / eastern medicine

Many tourists visit the temples to learn about eastern religious traditions.

同義詞
  • Asian

    More precise and neutral; 'Eastern' is broader and can feel dated or Eurocentric.

  • Oriental

    Now considered dated or offensive in many contexts; avoid in modern usage.

反義詞
  • Western

    Describes the cultures and countries of Europe and North America.

文法句型

Eastern + noun

用法筆記

This sense is often capitalized (Eastern) in formal writing when referring to the cultural region of Asia. The scope is broad and traditionally reflects a Western perspective; it commonly includes East Asian cultures (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) but may also extend to South and Southeast Asia depending on context.

常見錯誤

❌Eastern Europe is known for its temples and meditation.
✅Eastern Europe is part of Europe, not Asia.
💡The 'Eastern world' sense (adj/2) refers to Asia, not to the eastern part of Europe. Use sense 1 for eastern Europe.
❌Eastern culture only means Chinese culture.
✅Eastern culture includes many countries, such as Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and India.
💡The term covers a broad range of Asian cultures.