A shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a barrier island or reef; often used in geographical names.
The '潟' in Niigata Prefecture means lagoon.
A narrow body of water extending into the land from a larger body; often found in coastal place names.
This inlet forms a small creek.
tidal flat; tidal beach
A flat coastal area exposed at low tide; commonly used in compounds like 干潟 (ひがた).
See also: 干潟
Many migratory birds gather on the tidal flat.
干潟 refers specifically to the tidal flat exposed at low tide, while 潟 is the broader term that can also mean a lagoon or inlet.
The kanji 潟 combines 氵 (water) and 舄 (a phonetic component possibly related to 'marsh' or 'salty land'), suggesting a watery, marshy area. The reading かた is native Japanese and appears in many place names.