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N2

Kanji 島: meanings, readings, and example words.

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Kanji 島: island

Key takeaways

Kanji 島: island. Readings and core meaning.

See vocabulary and examples below.

Kanji at a glance

N2

Meaning

island

On reading

トウ

Kun reading

しま

Radical

Core meaning / core image

Core meaning: 島

island

Kanji structure breakdown

Structure breakdown

鳥 + 山

Mnemonic story

Mnemonic story

Imagine a bird (鳥) resting on top of a mountain (山) rising out of the sea. This represents an island, a place where birds stop to rest during their long flights over the ocean.

On'yomi and kun'yomi

On reading

トウ
  • 半島はんとう

    peninsula

  • 列島れっとう

    chain of islands

Kun reading

しま
  • しま

    island

Commonly used words

  • 半島
    はんとう

    peninsula

  • 列島
    れっとう

    chain of islands

  • しま

    island

Example sentences

Example 1

日本は国ですが、半もあります。

Translation

Japan is an island nation, but it also has peninsulas.

Example 2

の先端に小さな町があります。

Translation

There is a small town at the tip of the peninsula.

Example 3

日本列は多くのからできています。

Translation

The Japanese archipelago is made up of many islands.

Example 4

太平洋の列で自然を観察しました。

Translation

I observed nature on the islands in the Pacific archipelago.

Kanji 島: island | Daily Nihongo