Japanese word

沿岸

Pronunciation

Romajiengan

Meaning

  • nouncoast

Example

私は沿岸の町に住んでいます。watashi wa en gan no machi ni su n de i ma su

I live in a town on the coast.

Illustration for 沿岸 (coast)

More examples

沿岸では新鮮な魚が手に入りやすいです。en gan de wa shin sen na sakana ga te ni hai ri ya su i de su

Fresh fish is easy to find along the coast.

Core concept

Describes a region or place that extends beside the shore of a sea, lake, or similar body of water.

Common phrases

  • 沿岸の町en gan no machi

    a coastal town

  • 沿岸地域en gan chi iki

    coastal areas

  • 沿岸部en gan bu

    coastal area

Similar words

海岸kaigan: The land at the edge of a sea or other large body of water.
海辺umibe: A place or area beside the water, especially near a sea or lake.
沿海enkai: A region along the shore of a sea, often used in formal or geographic descriptions.

Definition in Japanese

海や湖などの岸に接して広がる地域。umi ya mizuumi na do no kishi ni ses shi te hiro ga ru chi iki

Word origin

沿岸 (engan) is a Sino-Japanese compound made from 沿 (en, "along") and 岸 (gan, "shore"), so its parts express the idea of being along a shore.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese news, 沿岸 (engan) can refer to a broad belt along the shore, not only to the narrow strip of sand at the water's edge.

Other meanings

  • shorenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word