Chinese word

沙滩

Pronunciation

Pinyinshā tān

Meaning

  • nounbeach

Example

今天的沙滩很漂亮。jīn tiān de shā tān hěn piào liàng

The beach is very beautiful today.

Illustration for 沙滩 (beach)

More examples

孩子们在沙滩上堆沙堡。hái zi men zài shā tān shàng duī shā bǎo

The children are building sandcastles on the beach.

Core concept

A flat spread of fine sand along the edge of the sea or a lake, shaped by the changing water.

Common phrases

  • 在沙滩晒太阳zài shā tān shài tài yáng

    sunbathe on the beach

  • 在沙滩上堆沙堡zài shā tān shàng duī shā bǎo

    build sandcastles on the beach

  • 沙滩度假shā tān dù jià

    take a beach vacation

Similar words

海滩hǎi tān: A seaside beach used for activities such as swimming and sunbathing.
沙地shā dì: An area of ground or land containing a lot of sand.
海岸hǎi àn: The land or strip of land where the sea meets the land.

Definition in Chinese

由细小砂粒组成的沿海或湖岸的平坦地带，常见于潮间带和海滨休闲区。yóu xì xiǎo shā lì zǔ chéng de yán hǎi huò hú àn de píng tǎn dì dài cháng jiàn yú cháo jiān dài hé hǎi bīn xiū xián qū

Word origin

沙 (shā, "sand") identifies the material, while 滩 (tān, "shallow, flat shore") identifies the level waterside ground, forming the noun for this kind of shore.

Usage tips

  • In Chinese, 沙滩 (shātān, "beach") can refer to a sandy shore beside a lake as well as one beside the sea, so an ocean setting is not required.

Other meanings

  • seashorenoun

Opposites

  • 内陆nèi lùinlandnoun

Related words

  • 沙滩服shā tān fúbeachwearnoun
  • 沙滩鞋shā tān xiébeach sandalsnoun

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