Meaning
river; stream
Nuance & Usage
川 refers to a river or stream. In place names, it often appears as がわ (gawa) after another word: 荒川 (Arakawa), 多摩川 (Tamagawa). Related words: 川岸 (kawagishi — riverbank), 川沿い (kawazoi — along the river), 川原 (kawara — riverbed). The word 川 also appears in the idiom 対岸の火事 (the fire on the other side of the river), meaning "not my problem."
Common Mistakes
Don't confuse 川 (kawa — river) with 海 (umi — sea/ocean) or 湖 (mizuumi — lake). In place names, 川 is often read as がわ (gawa), not かわ. Also, the counter for rivers is 本 (hon/pon/bon): 三本の川 is three rivers — the same counter used for long, thin objects.
Example Sentences
この川は泳げますか？
このかわはおよげますか？
Can you swim in this river?
川のそばで花火を見ました。
かわのそばではなびをみました。
I watched the fireworks by the river.
子どものころ、川でよく遊びました。
こどものころ、かわでよくあそびました。
When I was a child, I often played by the river.
Quick Quiz
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