川 — river

Grade 1せん, かわ

Radical ⼮ · radical 47 The building block this kanji is filed under

川 (readings: せん, かわ; Japanese kanji) means “river”. It is a Grade 1 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 1 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 川べり (riverside).

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What does 川 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	川
Meaning	river
Readings	せん, かわ
Grade	Grade 1 (Easiest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	川べり (riverside)

How to read 川

川 is read せん or かわ depending on the word.

Words with 川

河川かせんsông ngòi
川岸かわぎしbờ sông
川辺かわべbờ sông
谷川suối núi
川べりbờ sông

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Updated: 2026-08-09