East and West in Chinese language culture

As is known to all, the word, east and west represents two different and opposite directions when people talk with each other in English. Generally speaking, these two words are, more often than not, used in daily situations where one person asks for someone help in finding a right direction because he or she lost the way or someone wants to go to a unknown place. In Chinese learning process, this kind of usage is also usual in people’s daily conversations. However, some complete foreigners cannot understand its specific meaning when Chinese speak: zhe4 shi4 shen2 me dong1 xi1? So, what is the meaning of dong1 xi1? How to use it in China? And is there any interesting story about that popular phrase? In today’s essay, our Chinese online lessons’ teacher will answer these questions for those Chinese learners learning Chinese all the time worldwide.

Historically, the phrase dong1 xi1 derived from a primitive theory called five elements; gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. These five elements can be made in different groups with the Chinese common five directions: east, west, south, north and center. According to Chinese traditional culture and theory, the east is related with wood, the south is related with fire, the west is related with gold, the north is related with water, and the center is related with earth. We can see that east stands for all plants, and the west represents all golden things. So do the south and north. Therefore, people combined the wood and gold, gradually giving rise to the phrase dong1 xi1. This is the symbol of colorful everything in the world for the first time. Many online Chinese lessons provide learners with the history stories about the phrase dong1 xi1.

Until song dynasty, a famous, knowledgeable, and humiliate thinker zhu1 xi3, experienced an interesting moment. One time, he once came across his friend sheng4 wen1 he2 in the block. Because sheng4 excelled in the theory of five elements, and he was questioned by zhu1 xi3: what were you going to do with a basket in the hand? Sheng4 replied: I went to buy dong1 xi1 on the street. Thus, the phrase dong1xi1 had not appeared at that time, so zhu1 xi3 could not understand. Then sheng4 answered: you rethink the theory of five elements and you would be clear at once. A few seconds later, zhu1 xi1 got it. As a matter of fact, the gold and wood stand for items and golden things respectively. Compared with south and north, the items or golden things can be put into the basket. So as you can see, how can you place the fire and water in a basket? From then on, the phrase meant the item or a thing until now.

Literally, the phrase dong1 xi1 should be written as 东西 of Chinese character. On the other hand, the tone of xi1 is usually no tone, just read as xi in daily conversations. Therefore, you can use as this way. This is end of this introduction of this Chinese phrase in Chinese online lesson. Have you learned well?

Source: 

http://oldchinese.jigsy.com/entries/general/east-and-west-in-chinese-language-culture