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What is the difference between 河 and 川?

denkou

スコットランド人
12 Mar 2010
28
1
13
On a Japanese website, I posted a photograph I took of a large dam. Someone asked me if it was 河 or 川. At first I thought she was asking if it was for a river or a lake, but I thought lake would be something like 湖 or 湖水.

I've searched around the internet, looked up a couple of books, but I'm getting the same translation for both. River or stream. Can anyone lend me a hand telling the difference? As far as I'm aware, they are even pronounced the same. (かわ).

Thanks!
 
Yes, the two kanji have the same meaning "river" and the same pronunciation "kawa". The difference is, while 川 can be used for all kinds of rivers from a little stream to a large river, 河 usually refers only to a large river.
 
This post is deleted by WaterFox, because it is not the answer to the original question.

I don't know it is bad thing to post additional info.
But it might be redundant.
 
Last edited:
Hi.
There is one more word "窶ーテ債静ャ", which means "river" too.
窶ーテ債静ャツ ツ(窶堋ゥ窶堋ケ窶堙アツ、kasen)ツ is a official word of "rivers", including small rivers and big rivers. :D
What the OP asked is not the translation of "river" but the difference between 窶ーテ and ツ静ャ.:?
 
What the OP asked is not the translation of "river" but the difference between 河 and 川.:?

Yes. You're correct.
My post was not the answer to the original question.
I only thought that the additional information would help Japanese-language learners, especially because it is tricky too.
On second thoughts, I deleted it.

:sorry::sorry::sorry:
 
Oh, no, no. No problem. I just thought that 窶ーテ債静ャ might be an answer.😌
 
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