noun
open sea; rough sea
Refers to a broad, often rough stretch of open sea. Commonly appears in place names and literary contexts.
船は灘に出ると大きく揺れ始めた。
The ship began to pitch heavily once it reached the open sea.
玄界灘は冬になると波が荒いことで知られている。
The Genkai Sea is known for its rough waves in winter.
沖 refers to the offshore area away from the coast, while 灘 emphasizes a broad, often rough open sea, sometimes with a literary or place-name nuance.
The historical derivation is uncertain; the kanji 灘 is conventionally associated with rough open sea.