How to Say "Stream" in Japanese

小川

ogawa[o̞ɡa̠β̞a̠]

The Japanese word for stream is 小川 (ogawa). Wiktionary also lists 流れ (nagare).

Meaning: small river (noun)

Ways to say it

“stream” in Japanese
Japanese	Romanization (Wiktionary)	IPA
小川	ogawa	[o̞ɡa̠β̞a̠] (narrow)
流れ	nagare	[na̠ɡa̠ɾe̞] (narrow)

小川 is the standard noun used to describe a small, natural watercourse like a brook or a stream.

The word 小川 (ogawa) is composed of the kanji 小 (small) and 川 (river).

While 小川 (ogawa) refers to the physical body of a small river, 流れ (nagare) refers to the flow or current of the water itself.

ogawa

Japanese has a specific word せせらぎ (seseragi) to describe the gentle, bubbling sound of a 小川.
In Japanese, 小川 is a very common surname. When used as a name, it refers to the families who historically lived near or managed small streams.
The kanji 川 used in 小川 is a pictograph that originally depicted the winding shape of a river through three flowing lines.

小川の水は冷たいよ。
The water in the stream is cold.
This sentence shows how to describe the temperature of the water in the 小川.
Tatoeba #10028903 by small_snow, translation #6539137 by captcrouton
小川と川の違いは何でしょう？
What's the difference between a stream and a river?
This sentence is useful for asking about the difference between a 小川 and a river.
Tatoeba #10080108 by small_snow, translation #7833776 by CK
私の家の近くを小川が流れている。
A small stream runs by my house.
This sentence demonstrates how to say a 小川 runs near a location.
Tatoeba #164008 by bunbuku, translation #250502 by CM
4 more sentences on Tatoeba

Hiroto and Himari are walking through a forest.

大翔 Hiroto

あそこに小さな小川があるよ。
Asoko ni chiisana ogawa ga aru yo.
There is a small stream over there.
陽葵 Himari

本当だ！水がとてもきれいだね。
Hontou da! Mizu ga totemo kirei da ne.
You're right! The water is very clear.
大翔 Hiroto

この小川を沿って歩いてみよう。
Kono ogawa o sotte aruite miyou.
Let's try walking along this stream.
陽葵 Himari

いい考えだね。行こう！
Ii kangae da ne. Ikou!
That's a good idea. Let's go!

Sources

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