hǎi

sea

HSK Level 2

Example Sentences

我喜欢在海边散步。

wǒ xǐhuān zài hǎibiān sàn bù.

I like to walk by the sea.

大海一望无际。

dàhǎi yī wàng wú jì.

The sea is vast and boundless.

海浪拍打着海岸。

hǎilàng pāidǎzhe hǎi'àn.

The waves beat against the shore.

Synonyms

海洋 (hǎiyáng)

ocean

大海 (dàhǎi)

sea

Antonyms

(lù)

land

(shān)

mountain

Start Learning with HSK Tracker

Track your progress, master characters, and achieve your Chinese language goals.

Get Started Free
HSK Tracker Preview

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 海 (hǎi) for "sea" is composed of three parts:氵(water), 氵(water), and 亼 (boundary). The character 氵(water) is a pictograph of water, while the character 亼 (boundary) is a pictograph of a person standing on the edge of a body of water. The combination of these three parts suggests the idea of a body of water that is bounded by land.The character 海 (hǎi) has been used in Chinese writing for over 3,000 years. It is one of the most common characters in the Chinese language, and it is used in a variety of words and phrases related to the sea. For example, the word 海洋 (hǎiyáng) means "ocean", while the word 海水 (hǎishuǐ) means "seawater".The character 海 (hǎi) is also used in a number of Chinese idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 海阔天空 (hǎikuòtiānkōng) means "vast and boundless", while the proverb 海纳百川 (hǎinàbǎichuān) means "the sea accepts all rivers".The character 海 (hǎi) is a beautiful and evocative character that captures the essence of the sea. It is a reminder of the vastness and power of the ocean, and it is a symbol of hope and possibility.