Quick answer
川 is the kanji for "River". It is a JLPT N5 kanji. The main reading is かわ (kawa). Stroke-order practice is available below.
Meaning
River
Also : Stream
Learn 川 with SRS
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Readings
kun = Japanese reading · on = Chinese reading
Practice writing
Trace the kanji stroke by stroke with a visual guide.
Stroke Order
3 strokes
Radicals
Memory Aid
Three parallel lines flowing downward — three streams rushing side by side, like a river with distinct channels all moving in the same direction.
かわ (kawa) sounds like "kawar" — the river cuts through the landscape.
Example Sentences
川で魚を釣りました。
かわでさかなをつりました。
I went fishing in the river.
川の水はきれいです。
かわのみずはきれいです。
The river water is clean.
Vocabulary using 川
Grammar to study at this level
Last updated Jul 4, 2026
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