地平線(ちへいせん)

ちへいせん
noun
horizon
1. horizon (on land)
The apparent line where the earth's surface and the sky seem to meet, especially as seen from flat land or plains.
地平線(ちへいせん)が見(み)える。
I can see the horizon.
地平線(ちへいせん)に太陽(たいよう)が沈(しず)んだ。
The sun set on the horizon.
地平線(ちへいせん)の向(む)こうに何(なに)があるのだろう。
I wonder what lies beyond the horizon.
草原(そうげん)では地平線(ちへいせん)がよく見(み)える。
You can see the horizon clearly on the grassland.
地平線(ちへいせん)から朝日(あさひ)がゆっくり昇(のぼ)ってきた。
The morning sun slowly rose from the horizon.

地平線(ちへいせん) refers specifically to the horizon as seen over land — the line where flat ground meets the sky. Combines 地(ち) (earth) + 平(へい) (flat) + 線(せん) (line).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 地平線(ちへいせん)が見(み)える (the horizon is visible)
  • 地平線(ちへいせん)に沈(しず)む (to set on the horizon)
  • 地平線(ちへいせん)の向(む)こう (beyond the horizon)
  • 地平線(ちへいせん)から昇(のぼ)る (to rise from the horizon)

LAND VS. SEA HORIZON:

  • 地平線(ちへいせん): horizon over land (地(ち) = earth/ground)
  • 水平線(すいへいせん): horizon at sea (水(すい) = water)

This distinction does not exist in English, which uses "horizon" for both.

USAGE:
Best visible in flat landscapes like 草原(そうげん) (grasslands), 砂漠(さばく) (deserts), and 平野(へいや) (plains). In mountainous Japan, the 地平線(ちへいせん) is rarely visible, making it a somewhat romantic or literary image.

Related Words

Contrast: 水平線(すいへいせん) (sea horizon)
core
Added 2026.1.12 18:18 · Revised 2026.4.7 11:46
03000/03473_chiheisen