岸 àn — bank; shore; beach; coast
小船慢慢靠近了岸边。Xiǎo chuán màn màn kào jìn le àn biān.The small boat slowly approached the shore.
Common words: 岸上 (àn shàng)、两岸 (liǎng àn)、海岸 (hǎi àn)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "bank"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "bank", including 岸 (àn), 滨 (bīn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "bank" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 岸 (àn), 滨 (bīn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span àn, bīn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 岸 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 岸 ànbank; shore; beach; coastUseful words: 岸上, 两岸
- 滨 bīnshore; beach; coast; bankUseful words: 海滨, 滨海
Common words for these 2 "bank" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 岸 (àn) — so "bank" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "bank".
滨 bīn — shore; beach; coast; bank
海滨的城市气候温和，景色宜人。Hǎi bīn de chéng shì qì hòu wēn hé, jǐng sè yí rén.Coastal cities have a mild climate and pleasant scenery.
Common words: 海滨 (hǎi bīn)、滨海 (bīn hǎi)、河滨 (hé bīn)
All 2 characters
Open 岸、滨 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.