川: the kanji for river
川 is a JLPT N5 kanji that means river. Below are its readings, 9 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
川 is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
川 has 2 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 8 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
セン (sen)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 河川かせん · kasen | rivers |
| 川柳せんりゅう · senryū | senryu (a short humorous poem) |
かわ (kawa)
Kun reading. It often becomes gawa after another word.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 川かわ · kawa | river |
| 小川おがわ · ogawa | stream; brook |
| 川岸かわぎし · kawagishi | riverbank |
| 川沿いかわぞい · kawazoi | along the river |
| 品川しながわ · Shinagawa | Shinagawa (a district in Tokyo) |
| 天の川あまのがわ · Amanogawa | the Milky Way |
Special readings to learn as whole words
These words use 川, but their readings do not follow the readings above. The Jōyō Kanji Table lists them as special readings. Learn each one as a whole word.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 川原かわら · kawara | dry riverbed; riverbank |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 家の近くに川があります。Ie no chikaku ni kawa ga arimasu.There's a river near my house.
- 品川駅で新幹線に乗ります。Shinagawa-eki de shinkansen ni norimasu.I'll take the shinkansen at Shinagawa Station.
- 川沿いを散歩しました。Kawazoi o sanpo shimashita.I took a walk along the river.
- 夏に川原でバーベキューをしました。Natsu ni kawara de bābekyū o shimashita.We had a barbecue by the river in the summer.
- この川の水はとてもきれいです。Kono kawa no mizu wa totemo kirei desu.The water in this river is very clean.
- 川柳を作ってみました。Senryū o tsukutte mimashita.I tried writing a senryu.
Questions about 川
How many strokes does 川 have?
川 is written in 3 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 川?
The on readings are sen (セン). The kun readings are kawa (かわ).
Why is 品川 read Shinagawa?
When 川 (kawa) comes after another word, the k sound often changes to g, as in 品川 (Shinagawa) and 小川 (ogawa).
What JLPT level is 川?
N5. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N5 is designed to match the former Level 4.
More JLPT N5 kanji
Places and directions
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 川
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.