sea, ocean
On'yomi (音読み)
- カイ
- エ
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- うみ
About this kanji
The kanji 「海」 means "sea" or "ocean." It is usually used as a noun, for example, in the word海岸 (かいがん), which means "coast," referring to the land along the edge of the sea. Another example is海洋 (かいよう), meaning "ocean," which describes the vast waters that cover much of the Earth. You can also find it in海水 (かいすい), which means "seawater," the salty water of the ocean. Additionally, the word海賊 (かいぞく) means "pirate," often associated with sea adventures. When using this kanji, remember to use the kun'yomi reading うみ when speaking about the sea in a more personal or poetic context.
Built from
Example sentences
海はきれいです。
The sea is beautiful.
Meanings across languages
- English
- sea, ocean
- Tiếng Việt
- biển, đại dương
- 日本語
- 海
- 한국어
- 바다, 대양
- 中文
- 海, 海洋
- id
- laut, samudera
- th
- ทะเล, มหาสมุทร
- es
- mar, océano
- fr
- mer, océan
- de
- Meer, Ozean
- pt
- mar, oceano
Common compounds
- 海岸かいがんcoast, seaside
- 海洋かいようocean, marine
- 海水かいすいseawater
- 海賊かいぞくpirate
Want to actually learn this kanji?
The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.