ほとり

ほ

と

り

JLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

shore; bank; edge of water

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the land alongside a body of water such as a river, lake, or pond. Often used in literary or descriptive contexts.

散さん

歩ぽ

し

た

。

I took a walk along the shore of the lake.

川かわのほとりに小ちいさな家いえが建たっている。

A small house stands on the bank of the river.

〈場ば所しょ〉のほとりに住すむto live by the shore/bank of ~
彼かれは湖みずうみのほとりに住すんでいる。
He lives by the lake.
〈場ば所しょ〉のほとりを歩あるくto walk along the edge of the water at ~
夕ゆう方がた、川かわのほとりを散さん歩ぽするのが好すきだ。
I like taking a walk along the riverbank in the evening.

岸きしN3
岸 is the plain, general word for a shore or bank, while ほとり adds a poetic or scenic nuance and is often paired with 水辺.
水みず辺べ
水辺 refers broadly to the waterside area, whereas ほとり specifically emphasizes the immediate edge right next to the water.

Derived from classical Japanese; the exact origin is uncertain, but it has long been used to refer to the edge of a body of water.