Details
Stroke Order
Component Breakdown
left-right: water + 可
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of water and phonetic. Flowing water.
Symbolism
River, great river, galaxy. Represents large flow.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Flow of the river
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
白河夜船
しらかわよふね
being fast asleep (and totally unaware of what is going on around one); know-it-all manner; being fast asleep (and totally unaware of what is going on around one)
暴虎馮河
ぼうこひょうが
foolhardy courage; foolhardy courage
屍山血河
しざんけつが
heaps of bodies and streams of blood; fierce battle; heaps of bodies and streams of blood
百年河清
ひゃくねんかせい
waiting for one hundred years for the waters of the Yellow River to clear; waiting in vain for an unlikely event; waiting for pigs to fly; waiting for one hundred years for the waters of the Yellow River to clear
二河白道
にがびゃくどう
the road to paradise is a white road between two rivers, one of water (wrath) and one of fire (greed); the road to paradise is a white road between two rivers, one of water (wrath) and one of fire (greed)
Proverbs & Idioms
河童の川流れ
かっぱのかわながれ
Even kappa drown
Even experts can fail at their specialty
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 河 mean in Japanese?
河 means river.
How do you read 河?
On'yomi: カ (KA). Kun'yomi: かわ (kawa).
How many strokes does 河 have?
河 has 8 strokes. Its radical is 水 (water).
Is 河 a good kanji for a tattoo?
Yes. 河 (river) has a clear positive meaning and no embarrassing alternate readings, making it a solid tattoo choice.
Explore by meaning:kanji for river