湾 (wān) - bay & gulf

湾Tone 1

wān ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

婷婉

湾 · wān

bay;

gulf;

inlet;

to anchor;

a bend in a river;

used in place names, especially for coastal locations.

baygulfinlet

Usage highlights

baygulfharborbend in a riverTaiwanHong Kong Bay

Synonyms

  • 港— port; harbor
  • 澳— bay; inlet

Antonyms

  • 岬— cape; promontory (projecting land into water)
  • 角— cape; headland

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The ship anchored in the bay (海湾).
  • We visited Tokyo Bay (东京湾).
  • The river makes a sharp bend here (河湾).
  • This is a natural harbor (港湾).

Collocations

  • bay(海湾)
  • gulf(海湾)
  • harbor(港湾)
  • bend in a river(河湾)
  • Taiwan(台湾)
  • Hong Kong Bay(香港湾)

Idioms

  • Seven Turns and Eight Bends(七湾八拐)
  • Around the Bend(转弯抹角)
  • A Bend in the Long River(长江湾)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Frequently appears in Chinese geographical names for coastal features and river bends.
  • Taiwan (台湾) literally means 'Terrace Bay' and is a major cultural and political reference.
  • Historically important for maritime trade and coastal settlement patterns.

FAQ