Summer is here, and there's no better way to cool off on a hot day than spending time by the sea. While beach culture in China is a little different from what you might be used to—many people prefer walking along the coast, enjoying fresh seafood, or staying out of the sun rather than sunbathing—learning seaside vocabulary is still incredibly useful if you're visiting China's coastal cities or simply want to expand your summer Mandarin.
This guide goes beyond the usual "beach words" list. It covers the seaside as a whole: the coast, the harbor, the boardwalk, the weather, and the small talk you'll actually need once you get there.
Download the cheat sheet for this lesson:
1. Talking About the Coast
Before you even get your feet in the sand, you'll want to describe the coastal scene itself.
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Coast / seaside | 海边 | hǎibiān |
| Coastline | 海岸线 | hǎi'ànxiàn |
| Bay | 海湾 | hǎiwān |
| Harbor / port | 港口 | gǎngkǒu |
| Pier / dock | 码头 | mǎtou |
| Lighthouse | 灯塔 | dēngtǎ |
| Cliff | 悬崖 | xuányá |
| Boardwalk | 海滨步道 | hǎibīn bùdào |
| Fishing village | 渔村 | yúcūn |
| Horizon | 地平线 | dìpíngxiàn |
| Tide | 潮汐 | cháoxī |
| Wave | 海浪 | hǎilàng |
Mini Dialogue
A: 这里的海边真漂亮！
Zhèlǐ de hǎibiān zhēn piàoliang!
The seaside here is really beautiful!
B: 对啊！你看，那边有一个灯塔。
Duì a! Nǐ kàn, nàbiān yǒu yí ge dēngtǎ.
Yeah! Look, there's a lighthouse over there.
A: 我们先去码头，然后沿着海滨步道散步吧。
Wǒmen xiān qù mǎtou, ránhòu yánzhe hǎibīn bùdào sànbù ba.
Let's go to the pier first, then take a walk along the boardwalk.
B: 好啊！今天的海浪不大，风景真美。
Hǎo a! Jīntiān de hǎilàng bú dà, fēngjǐng zhēn měi.
Sounds good! The waves are calm today, and the scenery is beautiful.
Want to learn vocabulary related to seaside in a more relaxing way? Watch our Slow Chinese episode at our YouTube channel:
2. Weather and Conditions
The weather can make or break a seaside trip, so here's the vocabulary to check the forecast or just make conversation.
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Sunny | 晴天 | qíngtiān |
| Cloudy | 多云 | duōyún |
| Windy | 刮风 | guāfēng |
| Humid | 潮湿 | cháoshī |
| Hot | 炎热 | yánrè |
| Breeze | 微风 | wēifēng |
| Storm | 暴风雨 | bàofēngyǔ |
| High tide | 涨潮 | zhǎngcháo |
| Low tide | 退潮 | tuìcháo |
| Water temperature | 水温 | shuǐwēn |
Try it: How would you say "It's very windy today, so let's not go out on the boat"? (Hint: use 刮风 and 小船)
Answer: 今天刮风很大，我们别坐船出海了。(Jīntiān guāfēng hěn dà, wǒmen bié zuò chuán chūhǎi le.)
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3. On the Sand: Gear and Activities
These are your classic "beach day" essentials — the stuff you actually pack in your bag.
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Beach | 沙滩 | shātān |
| Sand | 沙子 | shāzi |
| Towel | 毛巾 | máojīn |
| Beach chair | 躺椅 | tǎngyǐ |
| Beach umbrella | 太阳伞 | tàiyángsǎn |
| Beach ball | 沙滩球 | shātānqiú |
| Sunscreen | 防晒霜 | fángshàishuāng |
| Sunglasses | 太阳镜 | tàiyángjìng |
| Flip-flops | 人字拖 | rénzìtuō |
| Swimsuit | 泳衣 | yǒngyī |
| Snorkel | 呼吸管 | hūxīguǎn |
| Life vest | 救生衣 | jiùshēngyī |
| Lifeguard | 救生员 | jiùshēngyuán |
Measure word note: most of these need a measure word when you count them — 一把太阳伞 (yì bǎ tàiyángsǎn, "a" beach umbrella), 一条毛巾 (yì tiáo máojīn, "a" towel), 一个沙滩球 (yí gè shātānqiú, "a" beach ball). Getting the measure word right is a small detail that makes your Chinese sound much more natural.
Mini Dialogue: On the Sand
A: 我们准备好去沙滩了吗？
Wǒmen zhǔnbèi hǎo qù shātān le ma?
Are we ready to go to the beach?
B: 还没有，我在找防晒霜和太阳镜。
Hái méiyǒu, wǒ zài zhǎo fángshàishuāng hé tàiyángjìng.
Not yet, I’m still looking for sunscreen and sunglasses.
A: 我带了一条毛巾，还有一个沙滩球。
Wǒ dài le yì tiáo máojīn, hái yǒu yí gè shātānqiú.
I brought a towel and a beach ball.
B: 太好了！别忘了躺椅和太阳伞，不然会很热。
Tài hǎo le! Bié wàngle tǎngyǐ hé tàiyángsǎn, bùrán huì hěn rè.
Great! Don’t forget the beach chair and umbrella, or it’ll get too hot.
A: 对了，你的泳衣和人字拖带了吗？
Duì le, nǐ de yǒngyī hé rénzìtuō dài le ma?
By the way, did you bring your swimsuit and flip-flops?
B: 带了！我们还需要呼吸管吗？
Dài le! Wǒmen hái xūyào hūxīguǎn ma?
Yes! Do we still need the snorkel?
A: 不用了，今天只是玩沙滩球和晒太阳。
Bù yòng le, jīntiān zhǐ shì wán shātānqiú hé shài tàiyáng.
No need, today we’re just playing beach ball and sunbathing.
B: 好的，那我们去找救生员附近的位置吧。
Hǎo de, nà wǒmen qù zhǎo jiùshēngyuán fùjìn de wèizhì ba.
Alright, then let’s find a spot near the lifeguard.
4. Sea Creatures
Snorkeling or just eating dinner — either way, you'll want to recognize these.
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Crab | 螃蟹 | pángxiè |
| Shrimp | 虾 | xiā |
| Lobster | 龙虾 | lóngxiā |
| Jellyfish | 水母 | shuǐmǔ |
| Octopus | 章鱼 | zhāngyú |
| Starfish | 海星 | hǎixīng |
| Dolphin | 海豚 | hǎitún |
| Shark | 鲨鱼 | shāyú |
| Sea turtle | 海龟 | hǎiguī |
| Seagull | 海鸥 | hǎi'ōu |
A fun quirk of Chinese: many sea-creature names are built from simple, logical parts. 海豚 (hǎitún, dolphin) literally means "sea pig," and 水母 (shuǐmǔ, jellyfish) literally means "water mother." Once you notice the pattern, these words are much easier to remember.
5. Ordering at a Seaside Restaurant
Coastal towns in China are famous for fresh seafood stalls and night markets. Here's what you need to order with confidence.
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Menu | 菜单 | càidān |
| Fresh | 新鲜 | xīnxiān |
| Grilled | 烤 | kǎo |
| Steamed | 清蒸 | qīngzhēng |
| Spicy | 辣 | là |
| Beer | 啤酒 | píjiǔ |
| Coconut water | 椰子水 | yēzishuǐ |
| Watermelon | 西瓜 | xīguā |
| Ice cream | 冰淇淋 | bīngqílín |
| Check, please | 买单 | mǎidān |
Mini Dialogue: Ordering Seafood by the Coast
A: 这个菜单看起来不错，你想吃什么？
Zhège càidān kàn qǐlái búcuò, nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?
This menu looks good—what do you want to eat?
B: 我想吃烤鱿鱼，要新鲜一点的。
Wǒ xiǎng chī kǎo yóuyú, yào xīnxiān yìdiǎn de.
I want grilled squid—make it fresh.
A: 好的，再来一个清蒸螃蟹吧。
Hǎo de, zài lái yí gè qīngzhēng pángxiè ba.
Okay, and let’s also get steamed crab.
B: 喝什么？椰子水还是啤酒？
Hē shénme? Yēzishuǐ háishì píjiǔ?
What do you want to drink—coconut water or beer?
A: 我要椰子水，很清爽。
Wǒ yào yēzishuǐ, hěn qīngshuǎng.
I’ll have coconut water, it’s really refreshing.
B: 服务员，买单！
Fúwùyuán, mǎidān!
Waiter, check please!
6. A Chengyu for the Occasion
If your seaside trip happens to fall during a national holiday, you'll probably need this one: 人山人海 (rén shān rén hǎi), literally "people mountain, people sea." It's used to describe a place that's extremely crowded — as if there were a whole mountain and ocean's worth of people.
Test Yourself
- How do you say "the tide is coming in" using 涨潮?
- What does 海豚 literally translate to?
- Order a steamed crab and ask for the check.
(Answers: 1. 涨潮了 (zhǎngcháo le). 2. "Sea pig." 3. 有清蒸螃蟹吗？买单，谢谢。)
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FAQ
The most common word is 沙滩 (shātān).
You may also hear 海边 (hǎibiān), which is more general and means “seaside” or “by the sea.”
Yes, but beach culture is a bit different from many Western countries. In coastal cities like Sanya or Qingdao, people often go to the seaside for walking, eating seafood, or enjoying the view rather than spending the whole day sunbathing.
海边 (hǎibiān) = seaside / coastal area (general)
海滩 (hǎitān) = beach (specifically sand and swimming area)
Dorota Maczuga
Originally from Poland, Dorota developed a passion for Chinese in high school and spent several years in mainland China and Taiwan. She earned a Chinese-taught Master’s in Political Science from National Taiwan University.
