江
jiang/t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/
In Chinese, 江 (jiang) means a large river.
The term refers to a large river. It is frequently used as a component in proper nouns, most notably in the name of the Yangtze River, 长江 (Cháng Jiāng). Beyond its literal meaning, 江 is a common Chinese surname and appears in many place names.
What does it mean word for word?
To refer specifically to the water of a river, you can add the word for water, 水 (shuǐ), to the end of the term to form 江水 (jiāngshuǐ), meaning river water.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is jiang. The IPA is /tɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/.
When do people say it?
Because it is a common surname, you will encounter 江 in many names. When referring to the most famous river in China, always use the proper noun 长江 (Cháng Jiāng).
Did you know?
- In ancient China, 江 was not a general word for any large river but was specifically the name of the Yangtze River.
- The word 江 is actually a loanword from an ancient Austroasiatic language, rather than being a native Chinese root.
- While 江 refers to a large river, the related character 河 (hé) is often used to distinguish between different major river systems in China.
Examples in context
- 与此同时江琴分散了江枫的哥哥燕大侠的注意力。Meanwhile, Jiang Qin distracted Jiang Feng's older brother Yan Daxia.This sentence shows the use of 江 within a name.Tatoeba #8637410 by hamsolo474, translation #8637423 by hamsolo474
- 江澤民Jiang ZeminThis example shows 江 as part of a proper name.
- 江枫的仆人雇了十二生肖杀江枫，他们伏击了江枫和江枫的妻子月奴。Jiang Feng's servant hired the "Twelve Zodiacs" to kill him. They ambushed him and his wife Yuenu.This sentence illustrates 江 used within a person's name.Tatoeba #8637407 by hamsolo474, translation #8637416 by hamsolo474
- 我的朋友姓江 (Wǒ de péngyǒu xìng jiāng)My friend's surname is Jiang.
- 我去了江苏省 (Wǒ qù le Jiāngsū shěng)I went to Jiangsu Province.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are standing on a bridge looking at the water.
- 伟 Wei这条江真宽啊。Zhè tiáo jiāng zhēn kuān a.This river is really wide.
- 雨婷 Yuting是的，江水非常湍急。Shì de, jiāngshuǐ fēicháng tuānjí.Yes, the river water is very rapid.
- 伟 Wei你看，江对面有很多船。Nǐ kàn, jiāng duìmiàn yǒu hěnduō chuán.Look, there are many boats across the river.
- 雨婷 Yuting风景真的很美。Fēngjǐng zhēn de hěn měi.The scenery is truly beautiful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 江, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 江, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
