(hǎi tān) - beach in Mandarin
hǎitānTraditional: 海灘
Translation
beach
Word origin
A compound of 海 (hǎi, sea) and 滩 (tān, a shoal or sandbank left by water), so the flat ground the sea runs onto.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 海 (hǎi, sea) + 滩 (tān, sandbank)
Stroke order
海
滩
Examples
。
We walked along the beach for a long time.
闹。
The beach in summer is always lively.
。
The children are playing with the sand on the beach.
。
This hotel is only five minutes from the beach.
晒。
There are many people sunbathing on the beach.
海滩 (hǎi tān) is a beach: the strip of sand between the sea and dry land. It is the word on maps and in holiday brochures, and it works as a location, so 在海滩上 is on the beach.
Its near neighbour 沙滩 (shā tān) is the sand itself and is what people usually say about lying down, sunbathing or building things. 海滩 is the place; 沙滩 is what the place is made of. Either is fine in most sentences.
The trap is the English habit of saying "go to the beach" for any trip to the coast. Chinese normally says 去海边, literally to the seaside, which covers the rocks, the promenade and the chip shop as well. 去海滩 is not wrong, but it points at the sand specifically, so it sounds oddly precise for a day out.
Where this fits
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海滩: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "海滩" (beach): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 50.