河
河·river, large river
- On-yomi
- カ
- Kun-yomi
- かわ
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 河川 | かせん | rivers (formal, collective) |
| 運河 | うんが | canal |
| 銀河 | ぎんが | galaxy, the Milky Way |
| 河口 | かこう | river mouth, estuary |
Example sentences
雨が続いて河川の水が増えた。
あめがつづいてかせんのみずがふえた。
The rivers rose after days of rain.
この町は古い運河で有名です。
このまちはふるいうんがでゆうめいです。
This town is famous for its old canals.
晴れた夜には銀河が見える。
はれたよるにはぎんががみえる。
On clear nights you can see the Milky Way.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- Writing 河 where ordinary 川 is expected — 川 is used for named rivers like 江戸川
- Reading 運河 as *うんか; it voices to うんが
Memory aid
Picture it
Water (氵) plus 可: a great stretch of water big enough to say 'yes, that's a real river'.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
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What does the kanji 河 mean?