ditch, drain, gutter, narrow waterway

JLPT N5 7 strokes

Words with this Kanji

Meaning and Usage

The character "" primarily refers to a ditch, gutter, or narrow waterway used for drainage or irrigation. It often appears in contexts related to agriculture, roadsides, or natural water channels.

Common Collocations

  • (xiǎo gōu): small ditch, often for drainage
  • (páishuǐ gōu): drainage ditch
  • 路边 (lù biān gōu): roadside ditch

Usage Notes

"" is a concrete noun describing a physical feature. It is commonly used in everyday speech when talking about rural or suburban environments. When used metaphorically or in compound words, the meaning can extend to channels or grooves.

Common Confusions

Do not confuse "" with "沟通" (gōutōng), which means "to communicate." The standalone "" always refers to a physical ditch or groove.

Register and Tone

The word is neutral in tone and suitable for both spoken and written Chinese, especially in descriptive or narrative contexts involving landscapes or infrastructure.

Example Sentences

There is a small ditch beside the farmland used for drainage.

He accidentally fell into the ditch by the roadside and got his clothes wet.

This ditch is very deep; be careful when crossing the river.