noun HSK 4
river · large river
Meaning
江 refers to a large river, particularly the major rivers of China. It's most famously used in 长江 (Cháng Jiāng), the Yangtze River. Unlike 河 (hé), which can refer to any river, 江 typically denotes major, significant rivers that flow into the sea.
Usage
江 is commonly used in proper names of China's major rivers and in geographical or poetic contexts. It appears in many place names, idiomatic expressions, and classical literature. In everyday speech, specific river names like 长江 or 珠江 are more common than using 江 alone.
Examples
- 01长江是中国最长的河流。.The Yangtze River is China's longest river.
- 02我们在江边散步，欣赏美丽的风景。, .We strolled along the riverside, enjoying the beautiful scenery.
Measure words
- 条一条江
Common collocations
- 长江Yangtze River
- 珠江Pearl River
- 江水river water
- 江边riverside
Origin
The character 江 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left radical 氵(water) indicates its meaning relates to water, while the right component 工 (gōng) provides a phonetic hint.