海
hǎi/xaɪ̯²¹⁴/
The English word 'sea' is translated into Chinese as 海 (hǎi).
Meaning: body of water (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 海 | hǎi | /xaɪ̯²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /xai⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 海 | hái | /hai⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Nan'an, Zhangpu, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) /hai⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Nan'an, Zhangpu, Singapore, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
To speak more generally or poetically about the sea, people often use the term 大海, which literally means 'big sea'. To describe a location such as being 'at the sea' or 'by the sea', the compound 海边 is typically used.
Which one should you use?
海洋 is the formal and standard way to say 'sea' in Mandarin Chinese. In legal documents or formal contexts regarding maritime jurisdiction and territorial waters, the term 海域 is used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Dungan language, the word is written as хэ, while in Hokkien, it is written as 海.
How do you pronounce it?
hái
Did you know?
- The Dungan language, spoken by the Uyghur diaspora in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, uses the Cyrillic script хэ to write the word for 'sea'.
- In Chinese culture, the 海 is often used metaphorically in the phrase 海量 to describe a person with a 'sea-like' capacity for tolerance and generosity.
- Some linguists suggest that 海 may be a distant relative of the Tibetan word rbó, meaning 'pond'.
Examples in context
- 大海是蓝色的。The sea is blue.This sentence illustrates the use of 海 to describe the color of the sea.Tatoeba #8821386 by crescat, translation #2396999 by Hayabusa
- 海邊總是刮風。It's always windy near the sea.This sentence shows how to use 海 when talking about wind near the sea.Tatoeba #13552174 by LeviHighway, translation #3260402 by sundown
- 我的房子在海边。My house is by the sea.This sentence demonstrates using the compound involving 海 to describe a location by the sea.Tatoeba #1752659 by sadhen, translation #7797437 by sharris123
- 我们明天要去海边玩。We are going to play by the sea tomorrow.
- 心灵深处渴望着大海的自由。Deep in my heart, I long for the freedom of the ocean.
- 根据国际法，每个国家都有权利管理自己的海域。According to international law, each country has the right to manage its own maritime jurisdiction.
- 66 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Yuting are looking at a travel brochure.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你看，这里的海很漂亮。Nǐ kàn, zhèlǐ de hǎi hěn piàoliang.Look, the sea here is very beautiful.
- 雨婷 Yuting我想去海边游泳。Wǒ xiǎng qù hǎibiān yóuyǒng.I want to go swimming by the sea.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我们一起去海边吧。Wǒmen yīqǐ qù hǎibiān ba.Let's go to the seaside together.
- 雨婷 Yuting好主意，我们现在就准备。Hǎo zhǔyì, wǒmen xiànzài jiù zhǔnbèi.Good idea, let's get ready now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sea” translations and entries 海, 海, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 海, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
