河
hé/xɤ³⁵/
The English word 'river' is translated into Chinese as 河流 or 河 (hé). Wiktionary also lists 水流 (shuǐliú) and 川 (chuān).
Meaning: large stream which drains a landmass (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 河 | hé | /xɤ³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /xo²¹/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 河流 | héliú | /xɤ³⁵ li̯oʊ̯³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /hɔː²¹ lɐu̯²¹/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 水流 | shuǐliú | /ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ li̯oʊ̯³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /sɵy̯³⁵ lɐu̯²¹/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 川 | chuān | /ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡sʰuan⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 河 | hô | /ho¹³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Nan'an, Hui'an, Zhangpu, Changtai, Lukang, Taipei, Yilan, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Kinmen, Taichung, Penang, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu, Longyan) /ho²³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Nan'an, Hui'an, Zhangpu, Changtai, Lukang, Taipei, Yilan, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Kinmen, Taichung, Penang, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu, Longyan) |
Hokkien |
| 江 | kang | /kaŋ⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) /kaŋ³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Quanzhou) |
Hokkien |
The term refers to a large stream which drains a landmass.
Which one should you use?
While 河 refers to a river, the compound form 河流 is a more formal or technical term used to describe the concept of a river or a watercourse in a geographical sense.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The character 川 is used in archaic or poetic contexts to mean a river or a flowing stream.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hokkien, you can use 河 (hô) or 江 (kang) to refer to a river. In Dungan, the forms хә (hə) or җён (jion) are used.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'riverside' or 'by the river', you add 边 (side) to the word 河 (river).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 河 is hô.
Did you know?
- One theory suggests that the name for the Yellow River 河 comes from the word for an adze handle, because a specific stretch of the river resembles that tool's shape.
- While 'river' is a general term, in Chinese, the choice of word often depends on geography. Historically, 河 was the specific name for the Yellow River, whereas 江 was the specific name for the Yangtze River.
Examples in context
- 他坐在河边。He sat next to the river.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 河 to indicate location beside a river.Tatoeba #2109176 by sadhen, translation #4049088 by AlanF_US
- 我跳進了河裡。I dove into the river.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 河 to indicate movement into a river.Tatoeba #5931781 by verdastelo9604, translation #475953 by minshirui
- 我去河裡游泳。I went swimming in the river.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 河 to indicate an activity happening inside a river.Tatoeba #6028190 by verdastelo9604, translation #2079997 by CK
- 长江Yangtze River
- 黄河Yellow River
- 珠江Pearl River
- 松花江Songhua River
- 嘉陵江Jialing River
- 128 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jun Jie and Zi Han are walking through a park.
- 俊杰 Junjie你看，那條河很美。Nǐ kàn, nà tiáo hé hěn měi.Look, that river is very beautiful.
- 梓涵 Zihan對，水很清澈。Duì, shuǐ hěn qīngchè.Yes, the water is very clear.
- 俊杰 Junjie這條河流向哪裡？Zhè tiáo hé liú xiàng nǎ lǐ?Where does this river flow to?
- 梓涵 Zihan它流向大海。Tā liú xiàng dà hǎi.It flows toward the ocean.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “river” translations and entries 河, 河流, 水流, 川, 河, 江, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 江, 河, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
