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Kotomora

島

island

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · grade 3FrequencyTop 500Strokes10

Readings

On'yomi

  • トウ

Kun'yomi

  • しま

Meaning

島 centers on a piece of land surrounded by water: an island.

Most common words using 島

20 of 278
  • 島しま
    N4

    island

  • 広島ひろしま
    N5

    Hiroshima (city, prefecture)

  • 福島ふくしま

    Fukushima (city, prefecture)

  • 鹿児島かごしま

    Kagoshima (city, prefecture)

  • 中島なかじま

    island in a pond or river

  • 大島おおしま

    large island

  • 徳島とくしま

    Tokushima (city, prefecture)

  • 島根しまね

    Shimane (prefecture)

  • 諸島しょとう

    archipelago; group of islands

  • 小島こじま

    small island; islet

  • 半島はんとう
    N2

    peninsula

  • 島田しまだ

    pompadour-like hair style, popular for unmarried women in the Edo period; shimada coiffure

  • 列島れっとう
    N2

    archipelago; chain of islands

  • 朝鮮半島ちょうせんはんとう

    Korean peninsula

  • 離島りとう

    isolated island; outlying island

  • 無人島むじんとう

    uninhabited island; desert island

  • 本島ほんとう

    main island

  • 孤島ことう

    solitary island; isolated island

  • 青島チンタオ

    Qingdao (China); Tsingtao; Chingtao

  • 島国しまぐに

    island country

Explore all words using 島 →

Study

Etymology

島 combines 山 (mountain) with a bird-like element that likely represents a phonetic component. The character depicts a mountain rising from the sea, forming an island.

Meaning mnemonic

A mountain 山 rises from the sea, with birds flying above it. Together they form an island.

Reading mnemonic

For トウ, imagine a tall island mountain that looks like a toe sticking out of the water: toe -> トウ.