large river

JLPT N5 6 strokes

Words with this Kanji

Meaning and Usage

The character (jiāng) primarily refers to a large river, often a major river or river estuary. It is commonly used in place names and to describe natural water bodies in Chinese.

Common Collocations

  • 长江 (Cháng Jiāng): The Yangtze River, the longest river in China.
  • (jiāng biān): riverbank, the area alongside a river.
  • (jiāng shuǐ): river water.

Usage Notes

When using , it usually denotes a significant river rather than a small stream. It often appears in geographical names and literary descriptions. is more formal and literary compared to (hé), which also means river but is more general and common in everyday speech.

Common Confusion

and both mean river, but often refers to larger or more famous rivers, while can refer to any river or stream. For example, 长江 (Yangtze River) uses , while (Yellow River) uses .

Example Sentences

The Yangtze River is the longest river in China.

We took a walk along the riverbank, enjoying the beautiful scenery.

The river water is clear to the bottom, and fish swim freely in it.