川 — “river” in Japanese

Grade 1せん, かわ

Radical ⼮ · radical 47 The building block this kanji is filed under

“river” in Japanese is 川, read sen, kawa (せん, かわ). It is a Grade 1 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 1 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 川べり (riverside).

Try it now

What does 川 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	川
Meaning	river
Readings	せん, かわ
Grade	Grade 1 (Easiest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	川べり (riverside)

How to read 川

川 is read sen (せん) or kawa (かわ) depending on the word.

Words with 川

河川かせん
川岸かわぎし
川辺かわべ
谷川
川べりriver

Learn 川 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,018 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Kanji read the same way as 川

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Read this character in a real sentence

Updated: 2026-08-28