South China Sea

/ˈsaʊθ ˌtʃaɪnə ˈsiː/

proper noun

A marginal sea of the Western Pacific, on the East coast of Asia. The western arm of the Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines.

Similar
East Vietnamese SeaEast SeaWest Philippine SeaWest SeaSouth Sea
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

proper nounthe South China Sea
  1. A marginal sea of the Western Pacific, on the East coast of Asia. The western arm of the Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines.

    The Philippine Islands are an archipelago southeast of Asia. They extend almost due north and south from Formosa to Borneo, and they separate the South China Sea from the Pacific Ocean.

    1898 May, “The Philippine Islands”, in The Locomotive, volume XIX, number 5, Hartford, Conn.: Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, →OCLC, page 77
    2 more examples

    Ignoring international law, the Chinese have claimed sovereignty over most of the South China Sea and are embarked upon a massive land reclamation and construction program to bolster these claims.

    2015, Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney, Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America, Threshold Editions, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 222

    “We are aware that there has been an unauthorized release of video footage from flight deck cameras onboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) of the F-35C Lightning II crash that occurred Jan. 24, in the South China Sea. There is an ongoing investigation into both the crash and the unauthorized release of the shipboard video footage,” Cmdr. Zach Harrell, spokesperson for Commander, Naval Air Forces, said in an email.

    2022 February 7, Brad Lendon and Ivan Watson, “Newly leaked video shows F-35 crashing in flames on aircraft carrier”, in CNN

    Synonyms: East Vietnamese Sea, East Sea, West Philippine Sea, West Sea, South Sea

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nounA marginal sea of the Western Pacific, on the East coast of Asia. The western arm of the Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines.

Similar
East Vietnamese SeaEast SeaWest Philippine SeaWest SeaSouth Sea
Also see
east vietnamese seawest philippine sea

Translations

Afrikaans Suid-Chinese See
  • Suid-Chinese SeePacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Arabic بَحْر الصِّين الْجَنُوبِيّ
  • بَحْر الصِّين الْجَنُوبِيّ (baḥr aṣ-ṣīn al-janūbiyy)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Basque Hego Txinako itsasoa
  • Hego Txinako itsasoaPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Bengali দক্ষিণ চীন সাগর
  • দক্ষিণ চীন সাগর (dokkhin cin śagor)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Bulgarian Южнокита́йско море́
  • Южнокита́йско море́ (Južnokitájsko moré)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Catalan mar de la Xina Meridional
  • mar de la Xina MeridionalPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Chinese Cantonese 南海, 南中國海 /南中国海
  • 南海 (naam⁴ hoi²)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
  • 南中國海 /南中国海 (naam⁴ zung¹ gwok³ hoi²)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Chinese Mandarin 南海, 南中國海 /南中国海
  • 南海 (Nánhǎi)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
  • 南中國海 /南中国海 (Nán Zhōngguó Hǎi)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Czech Jihočínské moře
  • Jihočínské mořePacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Danish Sydkinesiske Hav
  • Sydkinesiske HavPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Dutch Zuid-Chinese Zee
  • Zuid-Chinese ZeePacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Esperanto Sudĉina Maro
  • Sudĉina MaroPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Estonian Lõuna-Hiina meri
  • Lõuna-Hiina meriPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Finnish Etelä-Kiinanmeri
  • Etelä-KiinanmeriPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
French mer de Chine méridionale
  • mer de Chine méridionalePacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
German Südchinesisches Meer
  • Südchinesisches MeerPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Greek Θάλασσα της Νότιας Κίνας
  • Θάλασσα της Νότιας Κίνας (Thálassa tis Nótias Kínas)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Hebrew ים סין הדרומי
  • ים סין הדרומי (yám sin ha-drómi)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Hindi दक्षिण चीन सागर
  • दक्षिण चीन सागर (dakṣiṇ cīn sāgar)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Hungarian Dél-kínai-tenger
  • Dél-kínai-tengerPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Icelandic Suður-Kínahaf
  • Suður-KínahafPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Indonesian Laut Tiongkok Selatan, Laut Natuna Utara
  • Laut Tiongkok SelatanPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
  • Laut Natuna UtaraPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Irish Muir na Síne Theas
  • Muir na Síne TheasPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Italian Mar Cinese Meridionale
  • Mar Cinese MeridionalePacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Japanese 南シナ海, 南支那海
  • 南シナ海 (Minami Shina-kai)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
  • 南支那海 (Minami Shina-kai)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
  • 南中国海Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Korean 남중국해
  • 남중국해 (Namjunggukhae)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Latvian Dienvidķīnas jūra
  • Dienvidķīnas jūraPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Lithuanian Pietų Kinijos jūra
  • Pietų Kinijos jūraPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Malay Laut China Selatan
  • Laut China SelatanPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Norwegian Bokmål Sørkinahavet
  • SørkinahavetPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Persian دریای جنوبی چین
  • دریای جنوبی چین (daryâ-ye jonubi čin)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Polish Morze Południowochińskie
  • Morze PołudniowochińskiePacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Portuguese Mar da China Meridional
  • Mar da China MeridionalPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Punjabi ਦੱਖਣੀ ਚੀਨ ਸਮੁੰਦਰ
  • ਦੱਖਣੀ ਚੀਨ ਸਮੁੰਦਰ (dakkhaṇī cīn samundar)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Romanian Marea Chinei de Sud
  • Marea Chinei de SudPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Russian Ю́жно-Кита́йское мо́ре
  • Ю́жно-Кита́йское мо́ре (Júžno-Kitájskoje móre)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Slovak Juhočínske more
  • Juhočínske morePacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Spanish mar de la China Meridional
  • mar de la China MeridionalPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Swahili Bahari ya Uchina Kusini
  • Bahari ya Uchina KusiniPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Swedish Sydkinesiska sjön, Sydkinesiska havet
  • Sydkinesiska sjönPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
  • Sydkinesiska havetPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Tagalog Timog Dagat Tsina
  • Timog Dagat TsinaPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Tamil தென்சீனக் கடல்
  • தென்சீனக் கடல் (teṉcīṉak kaṭal)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Thai ทะเลจีนใต้
  • ทะเลจีนใต้ (tá-lee jiin dtâai)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Turkish Güney Çin Denizi
  • Güney Çin DeniziPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Ukrainian Південнокита́йське мо́ре
  • Південнокита́йське мо́ре (Pivdennokytájsʹke móre)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Urdu بحیرہ جنوبی چین
  • بحیرہ جنوبی چین (bahīrā janūbī cīn)Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Vietnamese Biển Đông
  • Biển ĐôngPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Welsh Môr De Tsieina
  • Môr De TsieinaPacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland and Taiwan, Borneo and the Philippines
Cite this entry
APA

South China Sea. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/South%20China%20Sea

MLA

“South China Sea.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/South%20China%20Sea. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “South China Sea,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/South%20China%20Sea.

Source: South China Sea on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.