大洋(たいよう)

大洋(たいよう) refers specifically to the great oceans of the world — the largest bodies of water. It is more formal and specific than 海(うみ).

Types

Japanese geography traditionally counts three great oceans (三大洋(さんたいよう)); the Arctic and Southern Oceans are sometimes added.

• 太平洋(たいへいよう): Pacific Ocean
• 大西洋(たいせいよう): Atlantic Ocean
• インド洋(よう): Indian Ocean
• 北極海(ほっきょくかい): Arctic Ocean
• 南極海(なんきょくかい): Southern Ocean

Similar words

• 海(うみ): sea, ocean (everyday, general)
• 海洋(かいよう): ocean (scientific, formal, often in compounds)
• 洋(よう): ocean (used in compound names like 太平洋(たいへいよう))

Watch out

Same reading as 太陽(たいよう) (the sun), which is far more common; 大洋(たいよう) is mostly a written word.