島

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 島 is read しま and means land surrounded by water.
• Basic usage: It is an everyday word used when traveling to an island or describing its coast.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Destination and location
  • 島へ行く gives the direction of travel to an island.
  • 島で暮らす gives the place where someone lives.
• Island and peninsula
  • 半島 is a peninsula connected to a larger landmass on one side, unlike an island, 島.