The word 沙滩 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a key aspect of the final concept. The first character, 沙 (shā), means "sand", directly indicating the material. The second character, 滩 (tān), means a "flat, shallow area by water", such as a shoal or a flat expanse. When placed together, they logically and pictorially combine to mean the specific flat, sandy area beside a body of water, a "sand flat" or, more naturally, a "beach".