KaiwaGo川 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
川 means “river”. It is written with 3 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: セン (sen). Kun’yomi: かわ (kawa).
How to write 川 (stroke order)
Write 川 in 3 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 川
Trace 川 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 川
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | セン (sen) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | かわ (kawa) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 川 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 川
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 川 | かわ kawa | river | |
| 小川 | おがわ ogawa | stream |
川 (kawa) means “river”.
小川 (ogawa) means “stream”. Also in this word: 小
FAQ
What does 川 mean in Japanese?
川 means “river”. Common words with it are 川 (kawa, “river”) and 小川 (ogawa, “stream”).
How many strokes does 川 have?
川 has 3 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 3.
How do you read 川?
The on’yomi is セン (sen) and the kun’yomi is かわ (kawa). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 川 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 川 is kanji number 50 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.