Japanese dictionary
How to say "river" in Japanese
川かわ · kawa
"River" in Japanese is 川 (kawa). In river names it is often read gawa: 隅田川 (Sumidagawa).
▶ plays native audio. Audio on this site plays when you are logged in to your free japanese.ccn.jp account (the same account as Japanese Talk by CCN).
Ways to say "river" in Japanese
| Japanese | When to use it |
|---|---|
| 川かわ · kawa | River. |
| 〜川〜がわ · gawa | River (in names), as in Sumida River. |
| 河川かせん · kasen | Rivers (formal). |
How to use it
Walking along a river is 川沿いを歩く (kawazoi o aruku).
River levels are reported during heavy rain; warnings use 河川 (kasen).
Example sentences
- 川沿いを散歩しました。Kawazoi o sanpo shimashita.I took a walk along the river.
- 隅田川で花火大会があります。Sumidagawa de hanabi taikai ga arimasu.There's a fireworks festival on the Sumida River.
- この川はとてもきれいです。Kono kawa wa totemo kirei desu.This river is very clean.
- 大雨で川の水が増えています。Ōame de kawa no mizu ga fuete imasu.The river is rising because of the heavy rain.
- 川で釣りをしました。Kawa de tsuri o shimashita.I went fishing in the river.
- 橋を渡って川の向こうに行きます。Hashi o watatte kawa no mukō ni ikimasu.I'll cross the bridge to the other side of the river.
Kanji in this word
Questions
Why is 川 read gawa in river names?
When 川 (kawa) follows another word, the sound often changes to gawa: 隅田川 (Sumidagawa), 多摩川 (Tamagawa).
How do you say "along the river" in Japanese?
Say 川沿い (kawazoi): 川沿いを歩く (walk along the river).
Using Japanese at work?
See Executive JapaneseExecutive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.