# 西 — West

Frequency rank 372 / 2,608 in published Japanese.

Frequent enough that you will keep running into it once you read past headlines.

More common than 図 (Diagram), less common than 百 (Hundred).

- On’yomi: せい、さい
- Kun’yomi: にし
- Radical: 西 Cover (Kangxi 146)
- Frequency path: Level III of XX
- School grade: 2
- Strokes: 6

The character 西 (west) looks like a setting sun sinking into a nest or basket — the sun drops into the horizon in the west, nestled in the earth at day's end.

In words:

- 西 にし — west
- 西洋 せいよう — western countries
- 西暦 せいれき — Christian Era,anno domini (A.D.)

[Study 西](https://app.kanjidrift.com/study?kanji=%E8%A5%BF)

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