30
川
River
かわ (kawa)
JLPT N5
Interesting Fact
On the final evening of the "Obon festival", paper lanterns are floated down rivers during the "Toro Nagashi" ceremony to guide the spirits of ancestors on their journey home. Hundreds of glowing lanterns drifting along a river at night create one of Japan's most beautiful summer sights.
Memory Trick
This is one of the easiest kanji to visualize. The shape itself tells a story: flowing water moving through a channel.
Readings
Onyomi: セン (sen)
Kunyomi: かわ (kawa)
Example Words
川
かわ (kawa)
River
川辺
かわべ (kawabe)
Riverside
河川
かせん (kasen)
River system
小川
おがわ (ogawa)
Small stream
Example Sentence
川で魚を見ました。
かわ で さかな を みました。
kawa de sakana o mimashita
I saw fish in the river.