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What is the Kanji for 'Island'? | 島

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Island', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Island' is 島.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Island

    Reading

    kunyomiしま

    shima

    onyomiとう

    tou

    Parts

    Mountain Bird

    Example Word

    列島: archipelago. The Japanese noun '列島 (れっとう)' refers to an 'archipelago', which is a chain or cluster of islands. This term is often used in geographical contexts to describe a group of islands that are closely scattered in a body of water. For example: Japan is an archipelago「日本は列島です」(にほんはれっとうです). The Ryukyu Islands form an archipelago「琉球諸島は列島を形成しています」(りゅうきゅうしょとうはれっとうをけいせいしています). The word emphasizes the interconnectedness of the islands within a specific geographical area.

    Radical

    Stroke Count

    10

    JLPT

    N2

    Grade

    3

    Frequency

    292

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    kanji

    Meaning

    Mountain

    kanji

    Meaning

    Bird

Words Using

This kanji is used in 4 words:

    word

    Meaning

    Island

    word

    半島

    Meaning

    Peninsula

    word

    列島

    Meaning

    Archipelago

    word

    諸島

    Meaning

    Archipelago

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 21 kanji contain the part 山 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Exit

    kanji

    Meaning

    Boulder

    kanji

    Meaning

    Both

    kanji

    Meaning

    Beach

    kanji

    Meaning

    Charcoal

    kanji

    Meaning

    Secret, Dense

    kanji

    Meaning

    Levy, Symptom

    kanji

    Meaning

    Steep

    kanji

    Meaning

    Gorge, Ravine

    kanji

    Meaning

    Branch, Fork

    kanji

    Meaning

    Collapse, Crumble

    kanji

    Meaning

    Adore, Reverence

    kanji

    Meaning

    High mountain, Peak

    kanji

    Meaning

    Faint, Seclude

    kanji

    Meaning

    Cape, Promontory

    kanji

    Meaning

    Mountain peak, Mountain pass

    kanji

    Meaning

    Peak, Summit

    kanji

    Meaning

    Hermit

    kanji

    Meaning

    Hill

    kanji

    Meaning

    Storm

    kanji

    Meaning

    Cliff

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 3 kanji contain the part 鳥 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Chirp

    kanji

    Meaning

    Chicken, Hen, Cock

    kanji

    Meaning

    Crane

Learn the Kanji

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 島 mean?

島 means 'Island'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N2 exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.