湖
湖·lake
- On-yomi
- コ
- Kun-yomi
- みずうみ
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 湖 | みずうみ | lake |
| 湖畔 | こはん | lakeside |
| 琵琶湖 | びわこ | Lake Biwa |
| 湖水 | こすい | lake water |
Example sentences
この湖はとても静かです。
このみずうみはとてもしずかです。
This lake is very quiet.
夏は湖の近くでキャンプをします。
なつはみずうみのちかくできゃんぷをします。
In summer we camp near the lake.
日本で一番大きい湖は琵琶湖です。
にほんでいちばんおおきいみずうみはびわこです。
The largest lake in Japan is Lake Biwa.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- Named lakes take the on-reading: 琵琶湖 びわこ, not *びわみずうみ
- Mixing up 湖 (lake) with 池 (pond) — 池 is much smaller and often man-made
Memory aid
Picture it
Water (氵) that is old (古) and wide as the moon (月) — a great standing body of water.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 3 of 5
What does the kanji 湖 mean?