島々(しまじま)

しまじま

noun

islands; many islands

geography

1. islands; many islands; various islands

The plural form of 島(しま) (island), referring to multiple or numerous islands. Formed by reduplication.

南(みなみ)の島々(しまじま)を巡(めぐ)った。

I toured the southern islands.

瀬戸内海(せとないかい)にはたくさんの島々(しまじま)がある。

There are many islands in the Seto Inland Sea.

日本(にほん)は大小(だいしょう)さまざまな島々(しまじま)から成(な)る島国(しまぐに)だ。

Japan is an island nation made up of various large and small islands.

Formed by reduplication of 島(しま) (island), with the second しま becoming じま through rendaku (sequential voicing). This is a common Japanese word-formation pattern where repeating a noun creates a plural or collective meaning (e.g., 人々(ひとびと) people, 山々(やまやま) mountains, 国々(くにぐに) countries).

Common collocations

南国(なんごく)の島々(しまじま): tropical islands
離島(りとう)の島々(しまじま): remote islands
島々(しまじま)を巡(めぐ)る: to tour the islands

Related words

島(しま): island — the singular form
諸島(しょとう): islands; archipelago — more formal, used in geographic names
列島(れっとう): archipelago; island chain — a chain of islands in a line

Related Words

Related: 諸島(しょとう) (islands)

Related: 列島(れっとう) (archipelago)

Compare: 群島(ぐんとう) (archipelago)

general

Added 2026.4.1 6:41 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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