Japanese Conversation · Level 23
90 words
Japanese word
川
Pronunciation
Romajikawa
Meaning
- nounriver
Example
川の水は冷たいです。kawa no mizu wa tsume ta i de su
The river water is cold.
More examples
家の近くに川があります。ie no chika ku ni kawa ga a ri ma su
There is a river near my house.
週末に川で魚を見ました。shū matsu ni kawa de sakana o mi ma shi ta
I saw fish in the river over the weekend.
Core concept
Refers to a natural channel where water gathers and flows across the land.
Common phrases
川を渡るkawa o wata ru
cross a river
川沿いkawa so i
along the river
川の水kawa no mizu
river water
Definition in Japanese
雨や雪解け水などが集まり、地表を一定の方向に流れる水の道。ame ya yuki do ke mizu na do ga atsu ma ri chi hyō o it tei no hō kō ni naga re ru mizu no michi
Word origin
川 (kawa) is a native Japanese word found in Old Japanese, but its original word formation is not certain.
Usage tips
- In everyday Japanese, 川 (kawa) can describe both a large river and a small stream, so the size is usually understood from context.
Other meanings
- streamnoun