Usage patterns 〈 場ば 所しょ 〉 に 桟さん 橋ばし を 架か ける to build/extend a pier at a place
A new pier was built at the entrance to the harbor.
桟さん 橋ばし に 船ふね をつける to bring a boat alongside the pier
The fisherman brought his boat up to the pier and unloaded his cargo.
桟さん 橋ばし を 渡わた る to walk across a pier
The tourists walked across the pier and landed on the island.
Related words 埠頭 refers to a large, permanent wharf or quay that is part of a port facility, while 桟橋 is often a lighter, smaller pier used for boats or foot traffic.
波止場 is a general term for a harbor's dock or landing area, whereas 桟橋 specifically denotes the projecting structure itself, such as a pier or jetty.
桟橋 refers to a jetty or gangway structure that projects over the water for boarding boats, while 岸壁 is a solid retaining wall along the shore where ships dock.
Written forms 桟橋 Usage 98% i Usage for this spelling across all readings, not one reading alone.
棧橋 Usage 2% i Usage for this spelling across all readings, not one reading alone.
out-dated kanji form
さんきょう
Etymology Compound of 桟 (さん , 'crosspiece' or 'frame') and 橋 (はし , 'bridge'), with rendaku voicing to ばし . The reading さんきょう is the on'yomi compound reading, less common.
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