海 — “sea” in Japanese

Grade 2かい, うみ

Radical ⽔ · radical 85 The building block this kanji is filed under

“sea” in Japanese is 海, read kai, umi (かい, うみ). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 海水 (seawater).

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What does 海 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	海
Meaning	sea
Readings	かい, うみ
Grade	Grade 2 (Easy)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	海水 (seawater)

How to read 海

海 is read kai (かい) or umi (うみ) depending on the word.

Words with 海

海外かいがい
北海道ほっかいどう
海水
海岸
海峡
海藻

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Kanji read the same way as 海

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28