川
川 means “river” or “stream” in Japanese. Its three flowing lines represent water moving in parallel streams.
Reading
On’yomi: セン (sen)
Kun’yomi: かわ (kawa)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 川 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | river, stream |
| Stroke Count | 3 |
| JLPT Level | N5 |
How to Understand This Kanji
川 appears as a standalone word and in many Japanese place names and surnames. It is one of the most useful kanji for reading maps, station names, and nature vocabulary.
Common Words
- 川（かわ / kawa） — river
- 小川（おがわ / ogawa） — small stream, brook
- 川岸（かわぎし / kawagishi） — riverbank
- 河川（かせん / kasen） — rivers, formal
- 川辺（かわべ / kawabe） — riverside
- 天の川（あまのがわ / Amanogawa） — Milky Way
Example Sentences
-
川の水がとてもきれいです。
かわのみずがとてもきれいです。 / Kawa no mizu ga totemo kirei desu.
The river water is very clear.
-
小川のそばでお弁当を食べました。
おがわのそばでおべんとうをたべました。 / Ogawa no soba de obentō o tabemashita.
I ate my lunch beside the small stream.
-
夜空に天の川が見えます。
よぞらにあまのがわがみえます。 / Yozora ni Amanogawa ga miemasu.
The Milky Way is visible in the night sky.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
The common reading is かわ. The reading せん appears in formal compounds such as 河川. Learn 川 together with 山 and 水 because they form a natural group of landscape kanji.
Summary
川 means river and is an iconic nature kanji used in geography, place names, and everyday vocabulary.