西 Home·Characters·西 Character · Places 西 にし nishi west Composition 123456 Origin Often read as a nest or woven basket; the sign was borrowed to write the west. Proverbs carrying this character 168 菜の花や月は東に日は西に Field of rapeseed — the moon in the east, the sun in the west. Related characters 上above, top下below, bottom中middle, inside井well前front, before国country地ground, earth垣low wall, fence城castle, rampart堀moat, ditch