sea, ocean

JLPT N2 10 strokes

Words with this Kanji

Meaning and Usage

The character (hǎi) primarily means "sea" or "ocean." It refers to large bodies of saltwater and is commonly used in everyday conversation when talking about the seaside, marine environments, or ocean-related activities.

Common Collocations

  • (hǎibiān): seaside, beach — used when referring to the shore or coastal areas.
  • (hǎishuǐ): seawater — emphasizes the salty water of the sea.
  • 海洋 (hǎiyáng): ocean — often used in more formal or literary contexts to describe the vast ocean.

Usage Notes

When using , it often appears in compound words to specify different aspects of the sea or ocean. It can describe physical locations (like ) or natural phenomena (like ). In conversation, is a neutral term and can be used in both casual and formal contexts.

Common Confusion

Don't confuse with (hú), which means "lake." always refers to saltwater bodies, while refers to freshwater bodies. Also, is different from (hé), meaning "river."

Example Sentences

Let's go play at the seaside.

Seawater is very salty.

He dreams of sailing around the world's oceans.