河

hé
HSK 3
#574 most
frequent character
river
noun
Measure words:条 tiáo,道 dào

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

河 uses 氵 water as the picture part and 可 kě as the sound part. It first named the Yellow River. From there it grew to mean any river or waterway, and also the Milky Way.

河 as a component in other characters

picture1 character
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Example Sentences

这条河很长。
zhè tiáo hé hěn cháng 。
This river is very long.
我们在河边钓鱼。
wǒmen zài hé biān diàoyú 。
We are fishing by the river.
河水在阳光下闪闪发光。
héshuǐ zài yángguāng xià shǎnshǎn fāguāng 。
The river water shines under the sunlight.

Words with similar meanings

江jiāng
jiang (river)
Typically refers to a larger river and is often used in a more formal context.
溪xī
xi (stream)
Refers to a smaller stream or creek compared to a river.

Homophones

盒hé
box, case
核hé
nuclear

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Public Lists with 河

Geography & Geology
Continents, landscapes, geological formations, mapping, and terrain.
HSK 3
All words for the HSK 3 test
Environment & Nature
Landforms, habitats, ecological topics, and environmental issues.