湾
gulf, bay, inlet
Readings
On'yomi
- ワン
Kun'yomi
- いりえ
Meaning
湾 centers on a curved indentation of water into land: a bay, gulf, or inlet.
Most common words using 湾
20 of 81- 台湾たいわんN5
Taiwan
- 湾わんN3
bay; gulf; inlet
- 湾岸わんがん
gulf coast; bay coast
- 港湾こうわん
harbour; harbor
- 湾曲わんきょく
curve; bend; crook
- 湾内わんない
inside the bay
- メキシコ湾メキシコわん
Gulf of Mexico
- 港湾局こうわんきょく
Port and Harbor Authority
- カンベイ湾カンベイわん
Gulf of Cambay
- トンキン湾事件トンキンわんじけん
Gulf of Tonkin incident (1964)
- ピッグス湾事件ピッグスわんじけん
Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)
- メキシコ湾流メキシコわんりゅう
Gulf Stream
- 側湾症そくわんしょう
scoliosis
- 像面湾曲ぞうめんわんきょく
curvature of field (optics)
- 内湾ないわん
enclosed bay; inlet; deep bay; basin
- 台湾カステラタイワンカステラ
Taiwanese castella (sponge cake)
- 台湾ドルたいわんドル
Taiwan dollar
- 台湾ハゲたいわんハゲ
hair loss; baldness; alopecia
- 台湾人たいわんじん
Taiwanese person; Taiwanese people
- 台湾元たいわんげん
New Taiwan dollar
Study
Etymology
湾 combines 氵 (water) with 弯, which suggests a curved or bent shape and likely contributes the sound. Together they represent a curved body of water.
Meaning mnemonic
Water 氵 that bends like a bow 弓: imagine a coastline curving inward to form a sheltered bay.
Reading mnemonic
For ワン, picture a single large wave rolling into a quiet bay: one wave -> ワン.