波打(なみう)ち際(ぎわ)

なみうちぎわ
noun
water's edge; shoreline; surf line
1. water's edge; shoreline; surf line
The line along a beach where waves wash up onto the sand. The boundary between water and shore that shifts with each wave.
波打(なみう)ち際(ぎわ)を歩(ある)いた。
I walked along the water's edge.
波打(なみう)ち際(ぎわ)で貝殻(かいがら)を拾(ひろ)った。
I picked up seashells at the water's edge.
夕暮(ゆうぐ)れの波打(なみう)ち際(ぎわ)に二人(ふたり)の足跡(あしあと)が残(のこ)っていた。
Two sets of footprints remained at the water's edge in the twilight.

An evocative word that paints a vivid picture of the beach. It specifically refers to the dynamic zone where waves break and wash onto shore — not just any part of the beach. Common in literary descriptions and travel writing.

FORMATION:
波打(なみう)つ (waves breaking) + 際(ぎわ) (edge, boundary)

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 波打(なみう)ち際(ぎわ)を歩(ある)く: to walk along the water's edge
  • 波打(なみう)ち際(ぎわ)で遊(あそ)ぶ: to play at the water's edge
  • 波打(なみう)ち際(ぎわ)に打(う)ち上(あ)げられる: to wash up on the shore
  • 波打(なみう)ち際(ぎわ)の砂(すな): sand at the water's edge

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 浜辺(はまべ): beach, seashore — the whole sandy area, not just the water line
  • 水際(みずぎわ): water's edge — more general; can refer to any body of water
  • 渚(なぎさ): shore, beach — a more literary and poetic synonym
general
Added 2026.3.29 21:11
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