Japanese word

諸島

Pronunciation

Romajishotō

Meaning

  • nounarchipelago

Example

この諸島は日本の南にあります。ko no sho tō wa nihon no minami ni a ri ma su

This archipelago is south of Japan.

Illustration for 諸島 (archipelago)

More examples

この諸島には珍しい鳥がたくさん生息しています。ko no sho tō ni wa mezura shi i tori ga ta ku sa n sei soku shi te i ma su

Many rare birds live in this archipelago.

Core concept

Refers to several islands grouped together as a geographic unit rather than a single island.

Common phrases

  • 諸島を探検するsho tō o tan ken su ru

    explore the archipelago

  • 諸島の東端sho tō no tō tan

    the eastern end of the archipelago

  • 諸島間の航路sho tō kan no kō ro

    a route between archipelagos

Similar words

群島guntō: Several islands grouped together as a single geographic region.
列島rettō: A series of islands extending in a particular direction across the sea.

Definition in Japanese

いくつもの島がまとまって存在する地域。i ku tsu mo no shima ga ma to ma tte son zai su ru chi iki

Word origin

諸 (sho, "various") + 島 (tō, "island") forms a Sino-Japanese compound meaning a group of islands.

Usage tips

  • In English, archipelago is a singular collective noun, so a sentence can say "The archipelago is" even though it names many islands.

Word lists with this word