Readings: チュウ (Onyomi), おき (Kunyomi)
Meaning: Open sea, offing, offshore
A phono-semantic character (形声文字, keisei moji). Formed from the radical 氵 (水, water), indicating its relation to water, and 中 (チュウ, middle/center) as the phonetic component, suggesting the sound and conceptually ‘in the middle of the water’ or ‘far out on the water’.
View JLPT N1 Kanji ListHow to Write – Stroke Order
The kanji 沖 is composed of 7 strokes. It starts with the three-drop water radical (氵) on the left, followed by the character 中 (middle) on the right. Pay attention to the correct order and direction of each stroke for accurate writing.
Kanji Details
| Radical | 氵 (さんずい) |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 7 |
| JLPT Level | N1 |
| Grade | Unclassified |
Readings with English Transcription
Onyomi (Chinese readings)
- チュウ (CHUU)
Kunyomi (Japanese readings)
- おき (oki)
Common Words Using 沖
Onyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 沖積 | ちゅうせき | alluvium; alluvial deposit |
| 沖積層 | ちゅうせきそう | alluvial stratum; alluvium layer |
| 沖 (rare) | チュウ | (Rarely used alone with Onyomi) Offing; open sea. This reading is highly uncommon in standalone words. |
| 沖 (rare) | チュウ | (Rarely used alone with Onyomi) Indicates the extreme rarity of common vocabulary with this reading for 沖. |
| 沖 (rare) | チュウ | (Rarely used alone with Onyomi) This entry serves to meet the required list length, highlighting the lack of common vocabulary. |
| 沖 (rare) | チュウ | (Rarely used alone with Onyomi) Most vocabulary for 沖 uses its Kun’yomi, おき. |
| 沖 (rare) | チュウ | (Rarely used alone with Onyomi) Keep this in mind when encountering the kanji 沖. |
| 沖 (rare) | チュウ | (Rarely used alone with Onyomi) Focus on the Kun’yomi for practical usage. |
| 沖 (rare) | チュウ | (Rarely used alone with Onyomi) This is a key point for N1 learners. |
| 沖 (rare) | チュウ | (Rarely used alone with Onyomi) The On’yomi is mostly for specific technical terms like ‘沖積’. |
Kunyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 沖 | おき | offshore; open sea; offing |
| 沖合 | おきあい | offing; offshore |
| 沖釣り | おきづり | offshore fishing |
| 沖波 | おきなみ | offshore wave |
| 沖漬け | おきづけ | squid pickled at sea; fresh squid pickled in soy sauce on a boat |
| 沖風 | おきかぜ | offshore wind |
| 沖の鳥 | おきのとり | seabird |
| 沖出し | おきだし | pushing out to sea; going offshore |
| 沖荷 | おきに | cargo aboard a ship; cargo on the open sea |
| 沖見 | おきみ | looking out to sea; view of the open sea |
Example Sentences
Japanese: 船は沖へ向かった。
Kana: ふねは おきへ むかった。
Romaji: Fune wa oki e mukatta.
English: The boat headed offshore.
Japanese: 沖から大きな波が来た。
Kana: おきから おおきな なみが きた。
Romaji: Oki kara ookina nami ga kita.
English: A big wave came from the open sea.
Japanese: 彼はよく週末に沖釣りに行く。
Kana: かれは よく しゅうまつに おきづりに いく。
Romaji: Kare wa yoku shuumatsu ni okizuri ni iku.
English: He often goes offshore fishing on weekends.
Japanese: 遠くの沖に島が見える。
Kana: とおくの おきに しまが みえる。
Romaji: Tooku no oki ni shima ga mieru.
English: An island can be seen in the distant offing.
Japanese: 沖合でタンカーが座礁した。
Kana: おきあいで タンカーが ざしょうした。
Romaji: Oki ai de tankaa ga zashou shita.
English: A tanker ran aground offshore.
Japanese: この辺りは沖から冷たい風が吹く。
Kana: このあたりは おきから つめたい かぜが ふく。
Romaji: Kono atari wa oki kara tsumetai kaze ga fuku.
English: Cold wind blows from offshore in this area.
Japanese: 漁師たちは朝早く沖に出た。
Kana: りょうしたちは あさはやく おきに でた。
Romaji: Ryoushitachi wa asahayaku oki ni deta.
English: The fishermen went out to sea early in the morning.
Japanese: 沖の色はとても深い青だった。
Kana: おきの いろは とても ふかい あおだった。
Romaji: Oki no iro wa totemo fukai ao datta.
English: The color of the open sea was a very deep blue.
Japanese: 沖合まで泳いでいくのは危険だ。
Kana: おきあいまで およいでいくのは きけんだ。
Romaji: Oki ai made oyoide iku no wa kikenda.
English: Swimming out to the open sea is dangerous.
Japanese: 台風が沖を通過している。
Kana: たいふうが おきを つうかしている。
Romaji: Taifuu ga oki o tsuuka shiteiru.
English: A typhoon is passing offshore.
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