side · horizontal

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 横 has 15 strokes and denotes a side or a horizontal direction.
• Basic usage: 横 is read よこ, and 横断 is read おうだん.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A position beside something and horizontal orientation
  • 私の横に locates something beside the speaker.
  • 紙を横にして means turning the paper sideways and then continuing.
• Crossing an area
  • In 大陸を東から西へ横断しました, the continent was crossed from east to west.
  • Here, を marks the area traversed.