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湾 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
湾wānbayzg, 12 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5123, Hard
湾wāngulfzg, 12 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5123, Hard
湾wānto cast anchorzg, 12 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5123, Hard
湾wānto moor (a boat)zg, 12 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5123, Hard
湾wānbay, cove, gulf, inletzg, 12 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5123, Hard
wān(wan1) T1
  1. 1bay
  2. 2gulf
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

湾(灣)wān(wan1)

The character 湾 (wān) primarily refers to a bay or gulf, which is a coastal body of water partially enclosed by land. It can also refer to the act of anchoring or mooring a boat. This term is commonly used in geographical contexts and can describe both natural and man-made inlets.

Strokes12Radical氵Frequency#5123DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In China, many major cities are located near bays, such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, highlighting the importance of maritime trade and transport in Chinese history. The concept of bays is also reflected in traditional Chinese poetry, often symbolizing beauty and tranquility.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'W' shaped bay, where the water curves around like the letter itself. The character 湾 has a water radical (水) on the left, representing its connection to water, and the right part sounds like 'wan' which rhymes with 'pan' where you might 'cast' or 'moor' a boat.

Meanings of 湾

wān(wan1)
1bay
2gulf
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 湾

湾Simplified
灣Traditional
12Strokes
氵Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#5123Frequency Rank

Podcast: 湾

JasonAmy

Podcast: 湾

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AI Study Notes for 湾

Quick Contrast

海湾 (hǎiwān) refers specifically to a coastal bay that is part of the sea, whereas 湾 (wān) can refer to any bay or inlet, not limited to coastal areas.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a 'W' shaped bay, where the water curves around like the letter itself. The character 湾 has a water radical (水) on the left, representing its connection to water, and the right part sounds like 'wan' which rhymes with 'pan' where you might 'cast' or 'moor' a boat.

Usage Notes

Typically used in both formal and informal contexts, 湾 can be confused with related terms like 海 (hǎi, sea) or 岸 (àn, shore). Pay attention to the tones, as 'wān' is often mispronounced as 'wán' (a different word with distinct meaning). Common phrases include 湾区 (wānqū, bay area) and 锚泊于湾 (máobó yú wān, moored in the bay).

HSK Study Tips

While 湾 is not specifically listed in the HSK, it can be useful for learners at HSK 3 and above when discussing geography or travel. Students should focus on similar terms related to water and geography, such as 河 (hé, river) and 湖 (hú, lake), to build a contextual understanding.

Cultural Note

In China, many major cities are located near bays, such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, highlighting the importance of maritime trade and transport in Chinese history. The concept of bays is also reflected in traditional Chinese poetry, often symbolizing beauty and tranquility.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 湾 with other similar-sounding characters such as 玩 (wán, to play) due to the tonal difference. It's important to focus on the context—湾 always relates to water, while 玩 relates to leisure activities.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 湾

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Etymology of 湾

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 灣. Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 彎 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

water

Semantic (meaning)氵
+
Phonetic (sound)弯
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 湾?

Decomposition of 湾

IDS Structure⿰氵弯
湾Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
弯wan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 湾?

Write 湾

湾

Practice writing 湾 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 湾

湾 carries 5 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

从这座房子可以俯瞰到特拉华____壮丽的景致。

The house commanded some splendid views of Delaware Bay.

Example Sentences for 湾 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
从这座房子可以俯瞰到特拉华湾壮丽的景致。

cóng zhè zuò fáng zǐ kě yǐ fǔ kàn dào tè lā huá wān zhuàng lì de jǐng zhì。

The house commanded some splendid views of Delaware Bay.
2
他在丁格尔湾与海豚交流的时候特别开心。

tā zài dīng gé ěr wān yǔ hǎi tún jiāo liú de shí hòu tè bié kāi xīn。

He was so happy communing with the dolphin in Dingle Bay.
3
这次原油泄漏可能会使波斯湾的海龟灭绝。

zhè cì yuán yóu xiè lòu kě néng huì shǐ bō sī wān de hǎi guī miè jué。

The spill could wipe out the Gulf's turtle population.
4
这次出行是为了能驶入冰雪覆盖的峡湾。

zhè cì chū háng shì wéi le néng shǐ rù bīng xuě fù gài de xiá wān。

The purpose of the visit was to navigate into an ice-filled fiord.
5
再往南走有一些这个岛上尚未被破坏的迷人小海湾。

zài wǎng nán zǒu yǒu yī xiē zhè gè dǎo shàng shàng wèi bèi pò huài de mí rén xiǎo hǎi wān。

Further to the south are some of the island'sloveliest unspoilt coves.
6
小湾对岸,沿着河边,东卵豪华住宅区的洁白的宫殿式的大厦闪烁着光彩.

xiǎo wān duì àn, , yán zháo hé, biān , dōng luǎn háo huá zhù zhái qū de jié bái de gōng diàn shì de dà shà shǎn shuò zháo.

Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water.
7
苏格兰东海岸大部分地区, 即福思湾两岸, 都是禁区.

sū gé lán dōng hǎi àn dà bù fēn dì qū, , jí fú sī wān liǎng, àn , dū shì.

Much of Scotland's east coast, either side of the Firth of Forth , was a restricted area.
8
海湾危机让这些问题备受关注。

hǎi wān wēi jī ràng zhè xiē wèn tí bèi shòu guān zhù。

These issues were brought into sharp focus by the Gulf crisis.
9
山岩的一小角突入港湾.

shān yán de yī xiǎo jiǎo tū rù gǎng wān.

A small section of rock juts out into the harbour.
10
他的双眼深不见底，犹如两湾棕色的深潭。

tā de shuāng yǎn shēn bù jiàn dǐ， ， yóu rú liǎng wān zōng sè de shēn。

His eyes were like bottomless brown pools.

Cultural Notes for 湾

🏮Cultural insight

In China, many major cities are located near bays, such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, highlighting the importance of maritime trade and transport in Chinese history. The concept of bays is also reflected in traditional Chinese poetry, often symbolizing beauty and tranquility.

Word Family of 湾

Words Containing This Character20
台湾Taiwan台灣
湾wānbay灣
海湾hǎiwānbay海灣
港湾gǎngwānnatural harbor港灣
墨西哥湾Gulf of Mexico墨西哥灣
关塔那摩湾Guantanamo Bay (in Cuba)關塔那摩灣
东京湾Tokyo Bay東京灣
台湾省Taiwan province (PRC term)臺灣省
台湾海峡Taiwan Strait台灣海峽
北部湾Gulf of Tonkin北部灣
荔湾区Liwan district of Guangzhou city 廣州市|广州市[Guǎng​zhōu​shì], Guangdong荔灣區
孟加拉湾Bay of Bengal孟加拉灣
台湾岛Taiwan Island臺灣島
杭州湾Hangzhou Bay杭州灣
卢湾区Luwan district, central Shanghai盧灣區
波斯湾Persian Gulf波斯灣
亚龙湾Yalong Bay in Sanya 三亞|三亚[Sān​yà], Hainan亞龍灣
渤海湾Bohai Bay渤海灣
湾仔Wan Chai district of Hong Kong灣仔
沙湾Shawan district of Leshan city 樂山市|乐山市[Lè​shān​shì], Sichuan沙灣
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 台湾 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 湾

You can say '他在湾里钓鱼' (He is fishing in the bay).