港みなと

み

な

と

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

noun

harbor; port

General term for a harbor or port where ships dock.

横よこ浜はまは大おおきな港みなとがあることで知しられて

い

ます

。

Yokohama is known for having a large port.

船ふねが港みなとに入はいってきた。

A ship came into the harbor.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉が港みなとに入はいるfor a ship to enter port
大おおきな船ふねが港みなとに入はいってきた。
A large ship came into the harbor.
港みなとを出でるto leave port; to set sail
船ふねは朝あさ早はやく港みなとを出でた。
The ship left port early in the morning.
港みなとで働はたらくto work at a port
父ちちは港みなとで働はたらいている。
My father works at the port.

Kanji

港harbor
湊port, harbor

Related words· 8

港こう湾わん
港湾 is a formal, technical term for harbor facilities often used in official or written contexts, while 港 is the everyday word.
波止場はとば
波止場 refers specifically to a wharf or pier area within a port and has a slightly old-fashioned, literary feel compared to the plain 港.
埠ふ頭とう
埠頭 denotes a specific pier or quay for loading and unloading, a more technical subset of what 港 broadly covers.
ポート
港 is the everyday native Japanese word for a harbor, while ポート is the loanword version, often used in more technical, nautical, or foreign-context settings.

Show 4 more

漁ぎょ港こう
港 is the general word for any port or harbor, while 漁港 specifically denotes a port built for fishing boats.
津つ
港 is the everyday standalone word for a port or harbor, while 津 is a suffix that appears mainly in place names like 大津 or 唐津.
軍ぐん港こう
港 is the general word for any harbor or port, while 軍港 specifically means a naval base port used by military ships.
ハーバー
港 is the native Japanese word for a harbor or port, while ハーバー is an English loanword often used in proper names or for a more Western, stylish feel (e.g. marinas).

Don't confuse with

空くう港こうN5
港 is a harbor for ships, while 空港 is an airport for airplanes, though both share the kanji 港.

Word family

港みなと町まち
port town; harbor town
港みなとまつり
port festival

Written forms

港みなとUsage81%
Standard kanji spelling, very common.
湊みなとUsage13%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
みなとUsage5%
ミナトUsage1%

Etymology

The kanji 港 combines 氵 (water) and 巷 (street/alley), suggesting a water passage or gathering place. The reading みなと is of native Japanese origin, possibly from 水 (mi, 'water') + な (genitive particle) + 戸 (to, 'gate'), meaning 'water's gate'.