洲 zhōu — continent; island
亚洲是世界上最大的洲。Yà zhōu shì shì jiè shàng zuì dà de zhōu.Asia is the largest continent in the world.
Common words: 大洲 (dà zhōu)、五洲 (wǔ zhōu)、洲府 (zhōu fǔ)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "island"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "island", including 洲 (zhōu), 岛 (dǎo). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "island" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 洲 (zhōu), 岛 (dǎo) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zhōu, dǎo — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 洲 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 洲 zhōucontinent; islandUseful words: 大洲, 五洲
- 岛 dǎoislandUseful words: 岛屿, 半岛
Common words for these 2 "island" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 洲 (zhōu) — so "island" 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 "island".
岛 dǎo — island
这座小岛四面都是海。Zhè zuò xiǎo dǎo sì miàn dōu shì hǎi.This small island is surrounded by sea on all sides.
Common words: 岛屿 (dǎo yǔ)、半岛 (bàn dǎo)、岛国 (dǎo guó)
All 2 characters
Open 洲、岛 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.