河
ho⁴
The English word river is translated into Cantonese as 河 (ho⁴). Wiktionary also lists 江 (gong¹) and 河流 (ho⁴ lau⁴).
Meaning: large stream which drains a landmass (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 河 | ho⁴ |
| 江 | gong¹ |
| 河流 | ho⁴ lau⁴ |
The word refers to a large stream which drains a landmass.
What does it mean word for word?
The formal term 河流 is a compound where 河 means river and 流 means flow.
Which one should you use?
While 河 is the general term for river, 江 is often used in formal names or to denote particularly large, significant rivers. The term 河流 is also used to mean river or waterway.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting or specifying a river, use the classifier 條 before the noun, such as in 條河.
How do you pronounce it?
ho⁴
Did you know?
- In traditional Cantonese culture, rivers are often viewed as 'dragons' in the landscape. The word for 'dragon vein' 龍脈 refers to the flow of energy through mountains and rivers.
- In Cantonese, the concept of 'river' can extend to the venous system. The term 血管 refers to 'blood vessels', but the characters literally mean 'blood flow' or 'blood stream'.
- The classifier 條 used for 河 is also used for other long, flexible things like fish, trousers and snakes.
Examples in context
- 呢條河有一咪闊。This river is one mile across.This sentence is useful for describing the width of a river using 河.Tatoeba #419261 by nickyeow, translation #58145 by CK
- 我睇到佢游過河。I saw him swim across the river.This sentence is useful for describing the action of swimming across a river using 河.Tatoeba #4544379 by kaenif, translation #260019 by CK
- 你有冇試過喺條河度溜冰呀？Have you ever tried skating on the river?This sentence is useful for asking about skating on a river using 河.Tatoeba #523933 by nickyeow, translation #45779 by CK
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are walking along a waterfront in the park.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting呢條河好靚呀。ni1 tiu4 ho4 hou2 leng3 aa3.This river is very beautiful.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit係呀，啲水好清。hai6 aa3, di1 seoi2 hou2 cing1.Yes, the water is very clear.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting我想喺河邊行下。ngo5 soeng2 hai2 ho4 bin1 haang4 haa5.I want to walk along the river.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit好呀，我哋行啦。hou2 aa3, ngo5 dei6 haang4 laa1.Okay, let's walk.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “river” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
