Beach & Seaside in Chinese 海边
hǎibiān
Seaside, beach in Chinese is 海边 (hǎi biān).
Also searched for as: beach, sea, seaside, swim.
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The word for seaside in Chinese is 海边 (hǎi biān), literally 'sea edge', and the beach itself is 沙滩 (shā tān). These words help you plan a day by the sea: packing your 泳衣 (yǒng yī), swimsuit, and 防晒霜 (fáng shài shuāng), sunscreen, then swimming, surfing, collecting shells and watching the sunset. They're especially handy because attitudes to the sun differ, and in China a tan isn't always the goal.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 海边 | hǎi biān | seaside |
| 沙滩 | shā tān | beach |
| 沙子 | shā zi | sand |
| 海浪 | hǎi làng | wave |
| 游泳 | yóu yǒng | to swim |
| 泳衣 | yǒng yī | swimsuit |
| 防晒霜 | fáng shài shuāng | sunscreen |
| 太阳伞 | tài yáng sǎn | sunshade; parasol |
| 贝壳 | bèi ké | seashell |
| 冲浪 | chōng làng | to surf |
| 晒黑 | shài hēi | to get a tan |
| 晒伤 | shài shāng | to get sunburnt |
| 救生员 | jiù shēng yuán | lifeguard |
| 日落 | rì luò | sunset |
| 堆沙堡 | duī shā bǎo | to build a sandcastle |
Usage tips
- Many beachgoers in China would rather not get 晒黑 (shài hēi), tanned, so parasols, wide hats and long sleeves are a common sight on the sand.
- For 'put on sunscreen' Chinese uses 擦 (cā) or 涂 (tú): 擦防晒霜 (cā fáng shài shuāng), not 穿 (chuān) or 戴 (dài).
- 去海边 (qù hǎi biān) 'go to the seaside' is the usual way to talk about a beach trip, while 沙滩 (shā tān) refers more to the sandy area itself.
Common mistakes
- Saying 我晒黑了 when you mean sunburnt → 晒黑了 (shài hēi le) only means you've tanned; for sunburn say 我晒伤了 (wǒ shài shāng le).
- Putting the place after the verb, as in 游泳在海里 → the location goes first: 在海里游泳 (zài hǎi li yóu yǒng).
Mini dialogue
- A这个周末我们去海边吧！Zhè ge zhōu mò wǒ men qù hǎi biān ba!Let's go to the seaside this weekend!
- B好啊！我想在海里游泳。Hǎo a! Wǒ xiǎng zài hǎi li yóu yǒng.Great! I want to swim in the sea.
- A别忘了带泳衣和防晒霜，小心别晒伤。Bié wàng le dài yǒng yī hé fáng shài shuāng, xiǎo xīn bié shài shāng.Don't forget your swimsuit and sunscreen, and be careful not to get sunburnt.
- B放心。我们晚上还可以在沙滩上看日落。Fàng xīn. Wǒ men wǎn shang hái kě yǐ zài shā tān shang kàn rì luò.Don't worry. And in the evening we can watch the sunset on the beach.
Example sentences
- 夏天我们去海边。In summer we go to the seaside.
- 沙滩上人很多。The beach is packed.
- 鞋里都是沙子。My shoes are full of sand.
- 今天海浪很大。The waves are big today.
- 我们去海里游泳吧。Let's go swimming in the sea.
- 别忘了带泳衣。Don't forget your swimsuit.
- 多擦点儿防晒霜。Put on plenty of sunscreen.
- 我们租了一把太阳伞。We rented a parasol.
- 孩子在捡贝壳。The child is collecting seashells.
- 他在学冲浪。He's learning to surf.
- 我晒黑了。I've got a tan.
- 小心别晒伤。Be careful not to get sunburnt.
- 有问题找救生员。Ask the lifeguard if there's a problem.
- 海边的日落很美。Sunsets by the sea are beautiful.
- 我们一起堆沙堡吧！Let's build a sandcastle together!
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The At the beach speaking island has 8 everyday questions about at the beach to prepare your own answers to.