river

JLPT N3 8 strokes

Words with this Kanji

Meaning and Usage

The character primarily means 'river' and refers to natural flowing water bodies. It is commonly used in geographical names and everyday conversation when talking about rivers.

Common Collocations

  • (Huáng Hé): The Yellow River, a famous river in China.
  • (hé shuǐ): river water.
  • (hé biān): riverside.

Usage Notes

is a straightforward noun and does not change form. It is often combined with other words to specify particular rivers or aspects related to rivers. Unlike (jiāng), which also means river but often refers to larger or southern rivers, is more general and can be used for many rivers.

Avoiding Confusion

Do not confuse with (hé liú), which means 'river flow' or 'rivers' collectively. alone refers to a single river. Also, is not used for man-made canals; for those, (yùnhé) is used.

Example Sentences

This river is very wide and suitable for boating.

The Yellow River is the mother river of China.

The river water is clear to the bottom and very clean.