西方 xīfāng the West
the West; the Occident; Western countries
How to remember 西方: 西 west + 方 direction = the West.
Characters
How it is used
- 'The West' as a cultural/political concept - 西方国家 (xīfāng guójiā) Western countries, 西方文化 (xīfāng wénhuà) Western culture.
- Contrast plain 西 (xī) or 西边 (xībiān), which are just the physical direction 'west/the west side'. 西方 is the civilizational West (Europe/America), often opposed to 东方 (dōngfāng) the East.
Example sentences
- 哥伦布航行至遥远的西方，去寻找一个新大陆。 Gēlúnbù hángxíng zhì yáoyuǎn de xīfāng, qù xúnzhǎo yígè xīndàlù.Columbus sailed farther west to look for a new continent.