Kanji: 河 (River)
The kanji 河 means "river," specifically referring to a large, flowing body of water. It is often used in formal names or compound words, sometimes interchangeably with the more common kanji 川 (kawa).
Key Reading:
On-yomi (Sino-Japanese reading): カ (ka)
Kun-yomi (Japanese reading): かわ (kawa)
Common Words & Usage:
河 (kawa) - Noun. River (less common than 川 in daily speech).
河川 (kasen) - Noun. Rivers, waterways.
運河 (unga) - Noun. Canal.
銀河 (ginga) - Noun. Galaxy (The Milky Way).
Example Sentence:
Japanese: この運河は19世紀に作られました。
Romaji: Kono unga wa 19-seiki ni tsukuraremashita.
English: This canal was built in the 19th century.
Learning the correct stroke order for kanji like 河 is essential for balanced, legible Japanese handwriting and is a fundamental part of mastering kanji writing.