海(うみ)

うみ

noun

sea, ocean

geography

1. sea, ocean

A large body of salt water. In Japanese, 海(うみ) is used for both 'sea' and 'ocean' in everyday contexts.

夏休(なつやす)みに海(うみ)へ行(い)きました。

I went to the sea during summer vacation.

海(うみ)で泳(およ)ぐのが好(す)きです。

I like swimming in the sea.

この部屋(へや)から海(うみ)が見(み)えるので、毎日(まいにち)気持(きも)ちがいいです。

You can see the ocean from this room, so it feels great every day.

海(うみ)の水(みず)は塩(しお)からいですから、飲(の)まないでください。喉(のど)が渇(かわ)いたら、水(みず)を持(も)ってきました。

Sea water is salty, so please don't drink it. If you're thirsty, I brought water.

When I was a child, I went to the sea with my family every summer and swam, collected shells, and built sandcastles.

海(うみ) is a fundamental nature word used for both "sea" and "ocean" in everyday Japanese.

Usage

In English, "sea" and "ocean" have different meanings, but 海(うみ) covers both. For technical distinctions, 大洋(たいよう) means "ocean."

Common expressions

海(うみ)に行(い)く: to go to the sea/beach
海(うみ)で泳(およ)ぐ: to swim in the sea
海(うみ)の幸(さち): seafood (lit. bounty of the sea)

Related words

Cultural note

海(うみ) and 山(やま) (mountain) together represent Japan's iconic landscapes. The phrase 海(うみ)か山(やま)か (sea or mountains?) is a common question about vacation preferences.

海(うみ)

Usage

Common expressions

Related words

Cultural note

Related Words