うみ
umieveryday
Ocean in hiragana is うみ (umi), the everyday word for both sea and ocean. More technical words are かいよう (kaiyō) and たいよう (taiyō), found in science and geography.
Meaning: ocean or sea (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| うみ | umi | everyday |
| かいよう | kaiyō | formal |
| たいよう | taiyō | scientific |
The Pacific Ocean is たいへいよう (Taiheiyō) and the Atlantic is たいせいよう (Taiseiyō).
Which one should you use?
Japanese uses うみ for sea, ocean and the seaside alike. The word たいよう for large ocean sounds the same as 太陽, the sun, so context tells them apart.
Did you know?
- Marine Day, うみのひ (Umi no Hi), is a national holiday in Japan held in July.
Examples in context
- うみがだいすきです。Umi ga daisuki desu.I love the ocean.
- たいへいようはとてもひろいです。Taiheiyō wa totemo hiroi desu.The Pacific Ocean is very wide.
Example conversation
Sayaka and her father, Dad, walk on a beach.
- Sayakaおとうさん、うみだよ。Otōsan, umi da yo.Dad, it is the ocean.
- Dadきれいだね。Kirei da ne.It is beautiful.
- Sayakaおよぎたいな。Oyogitai na.I want to swim.
