島 — “island” in Japanese

Grade 3とう, しま

Radical ⼭ · radical 46 The building block this kanji is filed under

“island” in Japanese is 島, read tou, shima (とう, しま). It is a Grade 3 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 3 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 半島 (peninsula).

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What does 島 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	島
Meaning	island
Readings	とう, しま
Grade	Grade 3 (Medium)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	半島 (peninsula)

How to read 島

島 is read tou (とう) or shima (しま) depending on the word.

Words with 島

広島ひろしま
半島
鹿児島

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Kanji read the same way as 島

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

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Updated: 2026-08-28