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海滩 (hǎi tān) — beach

Definition

海滩 is the natural seaside 'beach' — emphasizes the land by the sea itself. 沙滩 focuses on the sandy surface; 海滨 is more like a developed 'seaside' area.

noun
beach
Measure word · 片

Examples

  • 海滩。
    Zhè piàn hǎi tān de shā zi yòu xì yòu ruǎn.
    The sand on this beach is fine and soft.
  • 海滩。
    Xià tiān hěn duō rén qù hǎi tān yóu yǒng.
    Many people go to the beach to swim in summer.
  • 海滩，？
    Nǐ gèng xǐ huan nǎ ge hǎi tān, zhè ge hái shì nà ge?
    Which beach do you prefer, this one or that one?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

海hǎisea
滩tānsandy shore

海滩 joins 海 and 滩 to describe the sandy shore by the sea.

Characters in this word

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.

Open 海 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 灘; 滩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
難
難nán灘tān
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 灘, 氵 (water) marks the meaning and 難 gives the sound; the simplified 滩 is a shorthand.

Open 滩 →
Appears in
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