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海 (hǎi) — sea; ocean; (figuratively) a vast amount; a great number of people or things

Definition

海 is the everyday word for 'sea' or 'ocean.' Use 海洋 for the more formal, scientific sense (marine biology, oceanography). The figurative 'a sea of…' meaning (e.g. 人山人海) is a set pattern — don't substitute 成千上万.

noun
seaocean(figuratively) a vast amounta great number of people or things
Measure word · 个, 片
Easily confused

Examples

  • 海。
    Wǒ mā ma dài wǒ qù kàn hǎi.
    My mom took me to see the sea.
  • ，海。
    Gōng yuán lǐ yǒu hěn duō huā, zhēn shì yí piàn huā hǎi.
    There are many flowers in the park — it's really a sea of flowers.
  • ，。
    Jiào shì lǐ rén hěn duō, jiù xiàng yí piàn rén hǎi.
    There are so many people in the classroom, it's like a sea of people.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi海hǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3Geography & Landforms2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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