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道Nihongo Path
岸

岸·shore, bank, coast

On-yomi
ガン
Kun-yomi
きし

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

8 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
海岸かいがんcoast, seashore
岸きしshore, bank
川岸かわぎしriverbank
対岸たいがんthe opposite shore

Example sentences

  1. 夏休みに海岸を散歩した。

    なつやすみにかいがんをさんぽした。

    I took a walk along the coast during summer vacation.

  2. 船がゆっくり岸に近づいてきた。

    ふねがゆっくりきしにちかづいてきた。

    The boat slowly approached the shore.

  3. 川岸に桜の木がならんでいる。

    かわぎしにさくらのきがならんでいる。

    Cherry trees stand in a row along the riverbank.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 川岸 as *かわきし — it voices to かわぎし
  • Mixing up 岸 (the land at the water's edge) with 浜 (a sandy beach)

Memory aid

Picture it

A mountain (山) above a cliff (厂) over 干: rock standing over the waterline — that is the shore.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 岸 mean?