海岸
kaigan[ka̠iɡã̠ɴ]
The English word 'coast' is translated into Japanese as 海岸 (kaigan).
海岸 refers to the coastline or the general geographical area where the land meets the sea, gulf or bay.
Meaning: edge of land meeting ocean, sea, gulf, bay (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 海, which means 'sea' and 岸, which means 'bank', 'shore' or 'edge'.
How do you pronounce it?
kaigan
Did you know?
- Japan has a cultural concept called 里山里海 ('satoyama satoumi'), which describes the managed coastal and mountain landscapes where humans and nature coexist sustainably.
- While 海岸 refers to the geographic coastline, Japanese people use the word 海 ('sea') to mean 'the beach' or 'the coast' when talking about going for a swim or a trip.
- The kanji 岸 in 海岸 is used in the common idiom 岸を離れる ('kishi o hanareru'), which can metaphorically mean to leave a safe place or start a new journey.
Examples in context
- 東海岸出身です。I'm from the East Coast.This sentence is useful for stating your origin using 海岸.Tatoeba #12593293 by small_snow, translation #1912019 by Spamster
- アメリカの東海岸に住んでいます。I live on the east coast of the United States.This sentence is useful for describing where you live using 海岸.Tatoeba #12593294 by small_snow, translation #11937863 by Fenrir
- 僕の町は、海岸から数キロ離れています。My town is a few kilometres away from the coast.This sentence is useful for describing the distance of a town from the coast using 海岸.Tatoeba #12829693 by small_snow, translation #11094045 by sundown
- 日本の海岸は美しいですね。The Japanese coast is beautiful, isn't it?
- はい、特に伊豆半島の海岸は素晴らしいです。Yes, especially the coast of the Izu Peninsula is amazing.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are walking along a beach.
- 蓮 Renこの海岸はとても綺麗ですね。Kono kaigan wa totemo kirei desu ne.This coast is very beautiful, isn't it?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、波の音も心地いいです。Hai, nami no oto mo kokochi ii desu.Yes, the sound of the waves is also pleasant.
- 蓮 Ren美咲さんは、海岸を歩くのは好きですか？Misaki-san wa, kaigan o aruku no wa suki desu ka?Misaki, do you like walking along the coast?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、大好きです！Hai, daisuki desu!Yes, I love it!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coast” translations and entries 海岸, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
