Hainan

American  

[hahy-nahn] / ˈhaɪˈnɑn /

noun

1. Pinyin, Wade-Giles. an island in the South China Sea, separated from the mainland by the Hainan Strait: a part of Guangdong province. 13,200 sq. mi. (34,200 sq. km).

---

Hainan British  

/ taʊ, ˈhaɪˈnæn /

noun

1. an island and province in the South China Sea, separated from the mainland of S China by the Hainan Strait : part of Guangdong province until 1988; mainland China's largest offshore island. Pop: 8 110 000 (2003 est). Area: 33 572 sq km (12 962 sq miles)

---

Example Sentences

Building another in an area close to the big Chinese military bases on Hainan seems superfluous.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

In February its space agency conducted a successful in-flight abort test from Hainan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

That suggests Hainan still has scale, traffic and national policy backing.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

China Duty Free Group has benefited from the strong growth momentum driven by the Hainan offshore duty-free zone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

Hereunto may bee added the wonderfull store of pearles, which, at the Ile of Hainan, are found in shell-fishes taken very cunningly by certaine Diuers, and doe much enlarge the kings reuenues.

From The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 11 by Hakluyt, Richard