Explore 島 in words for islands and places connected to them. Learn each reading together with its word.
The idea
島 has 10 strokes; follow the linked stroke-order diagram. 島 is しま alone and in 島国（しまぐに）; in 半島（はんとう） it is とう.
| Japanese word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 島 | しま | island |
| 島国 | しまぐに | island country |
| 半島 | はんとう | peninsula |
Examples
- この島には小さな港があります。This island has a small port.
- 私たちは船で島へ行きました。We went to the island by boat.
- 日本は島国です。Japan is an island country.
- この島には大勢の人が住んでいます。Many people live on this island.
- 浜から島が見えます。We can see the island from the beach.
- 半島は海に突き出ています。The peninsula extends into the sea.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
島 is an island surrounded by water; 半島 is a peninsula connected to land. Do not assume that 島 is always read しま in compounds.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 島 in hiragana.
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しま
島 is read しま: この島には小さな港があります describes a small port on the island.
Write the reading of 半島 in hiragana.
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はんとう
半島 is read はんとう. It means a peninsula, and 島 takes the reading とう here.
Choose the missing kanji: 島＿（しまぐに）［国／山］.
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国
国 completes 島国（しまぐに）, an island country; 日本は島国です gives an example.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 島 in hiragana.
Write the reading of 半島 in hiragana.
Choose the missing kanji: 島＿（しまぐに）［国／山］.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write 島 following the diagram, cover the table, and read 島国 and 半島 aloud. Then make a sentence about an island.