JLPT N4 · 9 strokes
Kanji 海: "sea, ocean"
The kanji 海 means "sea, ocean". It is written with 9 strokes and belongs to JLPT level N4, read カイ in on'yomi and うみ in kun'yomi.
Stroke order
Strokes are written in the order of the numbers. The order is not decorative: it is what gives the character its balance, and it is also how handwriting search works in Japanese dictionaries.
Readings
On'yomi (Sino-Japanese reading)
カイ
Kun'yomi (native Japanese reading)
うみ
In a kun'yomi reading, the dot separates the kanji from its okurigana: かた.る is read かたる and written 語る. A hyphen marks a bound position, like -び in 日.
At a glance
| Meaning | sea, ocean |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 9 |
| JLPT level | N4 |
| Taught in Japan | grade 2 |
| Frequency rank | 200 of 2,501 |
Common words with 海
The most frequent words using this kanji, most common first, with furigana readings. Click one to open it in the reader.
- 海sea; ocean; waters
- 海外foreign; abroad; overseas
- 海岸seashore; coast; seaside; waterfront
- 北海道Hokkaido (island, prefectural-level administrative unit)
- 海賊pirate
- 海上(on the) sea; surface of the sea
- 海水seawater; saltwater
- 海面sea level; (surface of) sea
- 海底bottom of the ocean; seafloor; seabed · undersea; submarine
- 海軍navy; naval force
- 海辺beach; seashore; seaside; coast
- 海苔nori; laver; edible seaweed, usu. Porphyra yezoensis or P. tenera, usu. dried and pressed into sheets
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