open sea

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 沖 has 7 strokes and denotes the sea away from the shore.
• Basic usage: 沖 is read おき, and 沖合 is read おきあい.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Range of meaning
  • Both 沖 and 沖合 refer to offshore waters.
• Location and direction
  • 沖に白い帆船が浮かんでいる describes the location of a boat floating offshore.
  • 沖合へ向かった describes heading toward offshore waters.