海湾(かいわん)

かいわん
noun
bay; gulf; inlet
geography
1. bay; gulf; inlet
A body of water partially enclosed by land, forming an indentation in the coastline. Used in geographical and maritime contexts.
海湾(かいわん)に船(ふね)が停泊(ていはく)している。
Ships are anchored in the bay.
この海湾(かいわん)は天然(てんねん)の良港(りょうこう)として知(し)られている。
This bay is known as a natural good harbor.
海湾(かいわん)沿(ぞ)いの地域(ちいき)では、漁業(ぎょぎょう)と観光(かんこう)が主(おも)な産業(さんぎょう)になっている。
In the areas along the bay, fishing and tourism are the main industries.

A compound of 海(かい) (sea) and 湾(わん) (bay), used as a slightly more formal or literary term for a bay or gulf. In everyday speech, 湾(わん) alone is more common.

Common collocations

  • 海湾(かいわん)地域(ちいき): bay area; gulf region
  • 海湾(かいわん)沿(ぞ)い: along the bay
  • 海湾(かいわん)諸国(しょこく): gulf states (as in the Persian Gulf countries)

Similar words

  • 湾(わん): bay; gulf (the standard, more common term)
  • 入(い)り江(え): inlet; cove (smaller than a bay)
  • 内海(ないかい): inland sea (a sea largely enclosed by land)

Usage

The term 海湾(かいわん) appears in formal or geographical contexts. In news coverage of the Middle East, 海湾(かいわん)戦争(せんそう) (Gulf War) and 海湾(かいわん)諸国(しょこく) (Gulf states) are commonly encountered usages.

Related Words

Compare: 入(い)り江(え) (inlet)
general
Added 2026.5.3 9:00 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
26500/26622_kaiwan