Meaning & use
on the beach
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
On the sand or shore beside the sea, usually for rest or enjoyment.
Grammar: Used after verbs like be, sit, lie, walk: 'We were on the beach all morning.'
Patterns
- be on the beach
- sit on the beach
- walk on the beach
We spent the afternoon on the beach.
There were hundreds of people on the beach.
She likes to read on the beach.
phrasefixed phraseinformalold-fashioned
Without a job or paid work, especially in sailing and old-fashioned use.
Grammar: Used after be: 'He's on the beach' means he has no ship or job at the moment.
Patterns
- be on the beach
- put someone on the beach
After the company closed, many sailors were on the beach.
He's been on the beach since the factory shut down.
Common combinations
- a day on the beach
- We planned a lazy day on the beach.
- walk on the beach
- They walked on the beach at sunset.
- sunbathe on the beach
- Tourists sunbathe on the beach all summer.
- on the beach at dawn
- Fishermen were already on the beach at dawn.
Synonyms and how they differ
- on the shore
- More general and neutral; it can mean any edge of land by water, not just sand.
- at the seaside
- British and broader: it can include the whole resort town, not only the sand.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: on the beach or on the coast?
on the beach vs on the coast
'On the coast' means in a town or area beside the sea, not necessarily on the sand itself.
Practice
Which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
'On the beach' is the fixed phrase for being on the sand. 'In the beach' is wrong, 'at the beach' is possible but less specific, and 'on beach' needs the article 'the'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “on the beach”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.