Hi, my name is Mojca. I am from Slovenia in Europe and I work as a student advisor at our Beihai school.Let's Hit the Seaside // All The Chinese Beach Vocabulary You Need
Hitting the Beach in Chinese | Learn The Fundamentals
Good news guys – summer is here!
We all know what that means for you lucky Beihai students… time to hit the beach!
Or if you’re elsewhere in China, don’t worry, China’s coastline is around 18,000 kilometers long!
Luckily there’s plenty of beautiful beaches to choose from.
Before you do, make sure you’re up to scratch with all the essential Chinese beach vocabulary you need/
That way you can get a tan and impress all your Chinese friends with native-sounding conversational skills.
In this article you’ll find all that need-to-know beach vocabulary, from sunset, sand and sea, to shark, snorkel and seafood!
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – Where is the Beach?
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – Common Nouns
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – Swimwear and Swimming Gear
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – Sun Protection
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – Ocean Animals
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – Beach Bar Food and Drinks
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – Ocean Chengyu
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – FAQs
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – Where is the Beach?
You wake up to a new day in China and realize the sun is shining, it’s a beautiful day and it’s a great opportunity to hit the beach!
So you pack your bag, whack on your shades, text your local friends and off you go.
But first, you’ll need to figure out how to get there!
How do you ask ‘Where is the beach?’ in Chinese?
海滩在哪里?
hǎitān zài nǎlǐ?
How do you say ‘The beach is over there.’ in Chinese?
海滩在那边。
hǎitān zài nà biān.
If you need a refresher in asking for directions in Chinese, check out our Ultimate Guide to Chinese Directions
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – Common Nouns
Once you’ve made it to the golden sands and turquoise oceans in one piece, it’s time to explore and enjoy the beach!
How well do you think you could describe things you’d find at the beach in Chinese?
Below you’ll find some commonly used nouns you need to add to your Chinese beach vocabulary.
Let’s take a look
| Vocabulary | Character | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Beach | 沙滩 | shā tān |
| Sand | 沙, 沙子 | shā, shā zi |
| Sea | 海 | hǎi |
| Sun | 太阳 | tàiyáng |
| Towel | 毛巾 | máo jīn |
| Beach Chair | 躺椅 | tǎng yǐ |
| Beach Umbrella | 太阳伞 | tài yáng sǎn |
| Beach Ball | 沙滩球 | shā tān qiú |
| Boat | 小船 | xiǎo chuán |
| Paddle Boat | 划艇 | huá tǐng |
| Jet Ski | 水上摩托车 | shuǐ shàng mó tuō chē |
| Buoy | 浮标 | fú biāo |
| Lifeguard | 救生员 | jiù shēng yuán |
Think you can remember all those?
Try the exercise below and see if you can match the Chinese characters to the correct beach vocabulary.
Check the answers here 👇
1B
沙滩球 means beach ball. Remember, 沙滩 means beach and 球 means ball, so this one is pretty literal!
2A
躺椅 means beach chair. Again we can remember this by looking at the meaning of the characters, 躺 means to lie down or recline, 椅 means chair.
3C
And finally 太阳伞 means beach umbrella. This one is a little less literal as 太阳 means sunlight and 伞 means umbrella (just like in the word 雨伞!)
One of the best ways to practice vocabulary is to take those new words and put them into sentences.
Have a go at using the vocabulary from the table to translate these sentences into Chinese.
How do you say ‘Oops, I didn’t bring a towel!’ in Chinese?
哎呀, 我没带毛巾!
Āiyā, wǒ méi dài máojīn!
How do you say ‘Look, there’s a jet ski over there.’ in Chinese?
看，那边有水上摩托车。
Kàn, nà biān yǒu shuǐ shàng mó tuō chē.
How do you say ‘There’s sand in my shoes!’ in Chinese?
我的鞋子进沙了！
Wǒ de xiézi jìn shā le!
(Note: the Chinese is a little different to English, as Chinese speakers most commonly use 进 in this context, 进 means to come in or to get into. So in the context of sandy shoes, avoid the 在。。。里面 structure!)
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – Swimwear and Swimming Gear
On a hot summer’s day, there’s no better activity than going for a swim in the sea.
Once you know there’s a 救生员 jiù shēng yuán (lifeguard) on duty, you can stick on your swimwear and dive on in.
Maybe you could even come up with your own synchronized swimming routine like the gold-medal winning Chinese team at the FINA World Aquatics Championships!
Did you know?
China has a wide range of diving locations, including a fascinating section of the Great Wall of China that is underwater.
Even if you don’t think your swimming is up to world championship level, it’s still definitely worth learning all the related Chinese vocabulary, so that you’re all set for your trip.
We’ve also included words for commonly used equipment if you fancy going diving in China.
After you’ve learned the following vocabulary, you’ll be more prepared to plan a diving trip, purchase or rent all the gear and then of course tell other Chinese speakers about your experiences!
| Vocabulary | Chinese Character | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Bikini | 比基尼 | bǐ jī ní |
| Bathing Suit | 游泳衣 | yóu yǒng yī |
| Swimming Trunks | 游泳裤 | yóu yǒng kù |
| Sunglasses | 太阳镜 | tài yáng jìng |
| Flip-flops | 人字拖 | rén zì tuō |
| To Change Clothes | 换衣服 | huàn yī fu |
| Scuba Set | 潜水装置 | qiánshuǐ zhuāngzhì |
| Mask | 潜水面罩 | qián shuǐ miàn zhào |
| Flippers | 脚蹼 | jiǎo pǔ |
| Snorkel | 呼吸管 | hūxī guǎn |
| Life Vest | 救生衣 | jiù shēng yī |
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – Sun Protection
Remember, sunscreen is a must! Especially for those of you going for a swim.
Make sure to lather on that factor 50 – or if you’re in China, you can even get your hands on some SPF 100.
On a similar note, it’s also very common in China on sunny days to see people carrying umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun.
Down below is all the vocab you’ll need to chat about sun safety (and burns!) with your Chinese pals:
| Vocabulary | Character | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| To get a tan | 晒黑 | shài hēi |
| Tanned | 晒黑的 | shài hēi de |
| Sunscreen | 防晒油 | fáng shài yóu |
| Sunburn | 晒伤 | shài shāng |
| Skin | 皮肤 | pí fū |
| Sun Hat | 遮阳帽 | zhē yáng mào |
| Beach Umbrella | 太阳伞 | tài yáng sǎn |
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – Ocean Animals
China is rich in diving options teeming with sea creatures.
For those of you who want to channel your inner Little Mermaid and go diving under the sea with Sebastian and Flounder, we’d definitely recommending checking out Sanya, aka China’s Hawaii.
After you’re fully submerged in the water, you might be lucky enough to spot some ocean wildlife!
Fun Fact
Around the waters of Hong Kong, you might be able to spot pink dolphins! Though these dolphins are officially known as Chinese white dolphins, they are pink in color and are very rare.
Do you know how to say dolphin in Chinese? How about jellyfish, shark and seal?
It’s definitely worth learning how to say seagull at least, so at least you can complain like a native when they steal your ice cream!
Check out the table below to learn how to say all of these in Chinese.
| Vocabulary | Character | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Crab | 螃蟹 | páng xiè |
| Starfish | 海星 | hǎi xīng |
| Sea urchin | 海胆 | hǎi dǎn |
| Shrimp | 虾 | xiā |
| Oyster | 牡蛎 | mǔlì |
| Lobster | 龙虾 | lóng xiā |
| Jellyfish | 水母 | shuǐmǔ |
| Octopus | 章鱼 | zhāng yú |
| Eel | 鳗鱼 | mán yú |
| Manta Ray | 魔鬼鱼 | mó guǐ yú |
| Dolphin | 海豚 | hǎi tún |
| Shark | 鲨鱼 | shā yú |
| Whale | 鲸鱼 | jīng yú |
| Tuna | 金枪鱼 | jīn qiāng yú |
| Piranha | 食人鱼 | shí rén yú |
| Seal | 海豹 | hǎi bào |
| Sea Lion | 海狮 | hǎi shī |
| Seagull | 海鸥 | hǎi ōu |
| Pelican | 鹈鹕 | tí hú |
| Sea Turtle | 海龟 | hǎi guī |
When you take a closer look at the characters, you’ll find a lot of these animals have very interesting names.
For instance, the characters for jellyfish, 水母 shuǐmǔ, translate directly into ‘water mother’.
So now, why don’t you test yourself! Take our translation quiz to ‘sea’ how well you know your Chinese ocean animals…
Which animal in Chinese literally translates to ‘dragon shrimp’?
Lobster!
In Chinese, lobster is 龙虾 lóng xiā
龙 lóng means dragon
and 虾 xiā means shrimp
Which animal in Chinese literally translates to ‘sea pig’?
Dolphin!
This might be a bit of a surprise, but in Chinese, dolphin is 海豚 hǎi tún
海 hǎi means sea
豚 tún is an old way of saying pig (note: nowadays, 猪 zhū is most commonly used for pig)
Which animal in Chinese literally translates to ‘food person fish’?
Piranha!
This one is one of our favorites – it’s very literal! In Chinese, piranha is 食人鱼 shí rén yú
食 shí means food
人 rén means person
鱼 yú means fish
Don’t become a ‘food person’ guys, stay away from those 食人鱼!
BONUS | For a full list of animal vocabulary check out our extensive article on over 170 animals in Chinese.
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – Beach Bar Food and Drinks
Don’t forget to hydrate! After a hot, sunny day on the beach, it’s definitely time for a refreshing drink and a snack, or three…
You might even fancy a swigging a mojito or red wine to enjoy that ocean view (we won’t tell anyone).
Now, we know a few of you might be wanting something a little stronger with your beachside snacks, so check out our drinks menu cheat sheet below for all that alcohol-related vocab.
Don’t worry designated drivers, we also included soft drinks on there too:
When it’s time for a hearty lunch or dinner (or even just a quick snack), it definitely helps to be able to read those beach bar menus.
Ordering food can be a little intimidating for beginners, so it definitely helps to memorize some of your favorite foods – and especially foods you can’t eat!
Here we’ve compiled a list of foods and fruits you’re likely to be enjoying beside the seaside.
| Vocabulary | Character | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Calamari | 鱿鱼圈 | yóuyú quān |
| Fries | 薯条 | shǔtiáo |
| Hotdog | 热狗 | règǒu |
| Pizza | 披萨 | pīsà |
| Sandwich | 三明治 | sānmíngzhì |
| Panini | 帕尼尼 | pàníní |
| Salad | 沙拉 | shālā |
| Hamburger | 汉堡 | hànbǎo |
| Cheeseburger | 芝士汉堡 | zhīshì hànbǎo |
| Chicken burger | 鸡肉汉堡 | jīròu hànbǎo |
| Steak | 牛排 | niúpái |
| Ice cream | 冰淇淋 | bīngqílín |
| Cake | 蛋糕 | dàngāo |
| Cheesecake | 干酪蛋糕 | gānlào dàngāo |
| Brownie | 布朗尼 | bùlǎng ní |
| Fruit | 水果 | shuǐguǒ |
| Coconut | 椰子 | yē zi |
| Dragonfruit | 火龙果 | huǒ lóng guǒ |
| Watermelon | 西瓜 | xī guā |
| Melon | 瓜 | guā |
| Mango | 芒果 | máng guǒ |
| Cantaloupe | 哈密瓜 | hā mì guā |
| Papaya | 番木瓜 | gān mù guā |
| Pineapple | 菠萝 | bō luó |
| Passion Fruit | 百香果 | bǎi xiāng guǒ |
| Strawberry | 草莓 | cǎo méi |
| Banana | 香蕉 | xiāng jiāo |
| Durian | 榴莲 | liú lián |
At the end of a long beach day in China, a lot of us might just prefer to take the easy way out on the way home and grab a quick McDonald’s or KFC.
There’s also a huge range of local snacks you could take with you to the beach, from White Rabbit Candy to rice cracker biscuits.
Even better, we found a video of some kids taste testing a whole bunch of them, so you don’t have to!
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – Ocean Chengyu
And last but not least – time for a Chinese chengyu!
That chengyu is 人山人海 rén shān rén hǎi.
If we break it down literally, this chengyu means people (人) mountain (山) people (人) sea (海).
Can you guess what it really means?
人山人海, or ‘people mountain people sea’ actually means extremely crowded!
In other words, it means a place is so crowded that it feels as though there are mountains of people or an ocean of people.
This is something we can definitely relate to in Spring Festival travel season…
Hopefully you won’t have to use 人山人海 to describe your beach vacation this year, but if you do, at least you’ll sound like a pro when you’re complaining!
Do you know another beach-related chengyu, common phrase or slang term in Chinese? Let us know in the comments below!
Chinese Beach Vocabulary – FAQs
How do you say beach in Chinese?
In Chinese, beach is 沙滩 shā tān
How do you say ocean in Chinese?
In Chinese, ocean is 海 hǎi
Can I go swimming at Chinese beaches?
You can indeed!
With a coastline of around 18,000km, there are plenty of beaches to choose from.
Though we’d definitely recommend you check out Sanya, aka China’s Hawaii.
Are there any dolphins in Chinese oceans?
Yes!
One of the most famous sea creatures around China is the Hong Kong pink dolphin.
They’re a rare sight, but all the more special for it.
Can I really study Chinese near the beach?
Yes!
Our LTL Beihai school is located in the south of China where you can enjoy warm weather year-round and take your textbook down to the beach to study after class (beach cocktail optional!)
How can I remember all this new vocabulary?
In our experience, using a spaced-repetition flashcard app like Anki is a fast, effective (and painless) way of memorizing new words.
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