noun, noun, used as a suffix
Refers to a body of water partly enclosed by land but connected to a larger body of water. Also used as a suffix in proper nouns (e.g., 東京湾).
この湾は波が静かで、釣りに最適だ。
This bay has calm waves and is perfect for fishing.
東京湾にはたくさんの船が行き交っている
Many ships come and go in Tokyo Bay.
入り江 is a smaller, more irregular inlet, often with a narrower entrance, while 湾 is a broader term for a bay or gulf.
海峡 is a strait or channel connecting two larger bodies of water, whereas 湾 is a recessed coastal body of water.
The kanji 湾 is a phono-semantic compound with 氵 (water) and 彎 (bend, curve), reflecting the meaning of a curved body of water. The reading わん is the on'yomi.