河: the kanji for river
河 is a JLPT N2 kanji that means river. Below are its readings, 7 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
河 is written in 8 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
河 has 2 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 5 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
カ (ka)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 河川かせん · kasen | rivers |
| 運河うんが · unga | canal |
| 銀河ぎんが · ginga | galaxy; the Milky Way |
| 河口かこう · kakō | mouth of a river |
かわ (kawa)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 河かわ · kawa | river |
Special readings to learn as whole words
These words use 河, 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 |
|---|---|
| 河原かわら · kawara | dry riverbed |
| 河岸かし · kashi | riverside market; riverbank |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 大雨で河川の水位が上がっている。Ōame de kasen no suii ga agatte iru.The river water levels are rising because of heavy rain.
- 運河に沿って古い倉庫が並んでいる。Unga ni sotte furui sōko ga narande iru.Old warehouses line the canal.
- 夏休みに友達と河原でバーベキューをした。Natsuyasumi ni tomodachi to kawara de bābekyū o shita.During the summer vacation, I had a barbecue with friends on the riverbed.
- 夜空に銀河が見えた。Yozora ni ginga ga mieta.We could see the Milky Way in the night sky.
- 河口の近くに漁港がある。Kakō no chikaku ni gyokō ga aru.There is a fishing port near the mouth of the river.
Questions about 河
How many strokes does 河 have?
河 is written in 8 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 河?
The on readings are ka (カ). The kun readings are kawa (かわ).
What JLPT level is 河?
N2. 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 N2 is designed to match the former Level 2.
More JLPT N2 kanji
Nature, weather and animals
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 河
- 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.