Meaning
河 refers to a river, typically a natural flowing body of water. It is one of the most fundamental geographical terms in Chinese and appears in countless river names throughout China, most famously in 黄河 (Yellow River) and 银河 (Milky Way, literally 'silver river').
Usage
河 is used for natural rivers and watercourses. It commonly appears in compound words and place names. Native speakers use 河 in contrast to 江 (jiāng), which typically refers to larger rivers, though the distinction is not always strict. In northern China, 河 is more common in river names, while 江 dominates in the south.
Examples
- 01我们沿着河边散步。.We took a walk along the riverside.
- 02黄河是中国第二长河。.The Yellow River is China's second longest river.
Measure words
- 条一条河
Common collocations
- 黄河Yellow River
- 河边riverside, by the river
- 河水river water
- 过河to cross a river
Origin
The character 河 is a phono-semantic compound with the water radical 氵(water) on the left and 可 (kě) providing the phonetic component. Originally it specifically referred to the Yellow River before becoming a general term for rivers.