How to Write 海 (hǎi) — Meaning “sea / ocean”

Imagine every (每) drop of water (氵) gathers together to form a vast sea. Or picture the right side 每 as a person with arms open wide, standing by the water to symbolize the endless ocean.

Write the left radical 氵 first (three dots), then the right part 每: start with the top horizontal stroke, then the vertical down through the middle, followed by the left and right strokes inside, and finish with the bottom horizontal. A common mistake is making the left radical too wide or not aligning the middle vertical stroke of 每 with the center of the character.

海 (hǎi) means 'sea' and uses the phonetic 每. 沫 (mò) means 'foam' or 'froth' and has the phonetic 末 (mò). 沭 (shù) is used in the name of the Shu River and has the phonetic 术 (shù). Visually, the right-side components are distinct: 海 has 每, 沫 has 末, and 沭 has 术.

海 is very common in everyday words like 海边 (seaside) and 海鲜 (seafood). In Chinese culture, the sea often symbolizes vastness and depth, and phrases like 人山人海 (a sea of people) use 海 metaphorically. It also appears in names of oceans, such as 太平洋 (Pacific Ocean).

Common words containing 海 include: 海边 (hǎi biān) — Seaside / Beach; 海鲜 (hǎi xiān) — Seafood; 大海 (dà hǎi) — The sea.