川

See also: 州, 巛, and 𫶧

川 U+5DDD, 川 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5DDD ← 巜 [U+5DDC] CJK Unified Ideographs 州 → [U+5DDE]

Translingual

Han character

Stroke order

Stroke order

川 (Kangxi radical 47, 巛+0, 3 strokes, cangjie input 中中中 (LLL), four-corner 2200₀, composition ⿲丿丨丨)

Derived characters

• 𠆯, 𠯀, 圳, 汌, 𦘶, 杊, 𤆑, 㸪, 玔, 甽, 𥃹, 𥐣, 紃(𬘓), 𧈶, 𡔠, 訓(训), 𮙰, 䡅, 𫶨, 𪩢, 釧(钏), 馴(驯), 𩵙, 𩾧, 𦤸, 順(顺), 𡵅, 𡿫, 𪯠, 𣅕, 氚, 𫇨, 𤽃, 𥫨, 𥄊, 𥬂, 𪡢, 𩭁, 𨤅

Descendants

• つ (Hiragana character derived from Man'yōgana)
• ツ (Katakana character derived from Man'yōgana)

References

• KangXi: page 323, character 23
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 8673
• Dae Jaweon: page 624, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 32, character 2
• Unihan data for U+5DDD

Chinese

simp. and trad.		川
alternative forms		巛

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 川
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (川) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
川	*kʰjon
釧	*kʰjons
巛	*kʰuːn
巡	*sɢljun
馴	*sɢljun
紃	*sɢljun, *ɢljun
甽	*kljuns, *kʷeːnʔ
順	*ɢljuns
訓	*qʰuns

Pictogram (象形) – compare 水 (OC *qʰʷljilʔ).

Etymology

The Middle and Old Chinese reconstruction of this word is phonologically problematic (STEDT):

• Karlgren (1957) notes that the Middle Chinese form is irregular based on evidence from Shijing rimes.
• Based on velar contacts in the same phonetic series, e.g. 巛, 甽 and 訓, Baxter (1992) and Schuessler (2007) reconstruct the word with a velar initial (Handel, 1998; Sagart, 1999), which undergoes irregular palatalization in the development to Middle Chinese (Baxter, 1992).
• Based on other characters in the same phonetic series, e.g. 順 and 馴, Sagart (1999), and later, Baxter and Sagart (2014), reconstructs 川 with a lateral initial and suggests that only a *t- prefix would account for the Middle Chinese initial /t͡ɕʰ/.

Schuessler (2007) relates this word to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kl(j)u(ŋ/k) (“river; valley”), whence 江 (OC *kroːŋ, “river”), 谷 (OC *kloːɡ, “valley”), Tibetan ཀླུང (klung, “river”), Burmese ချောင်း (hkyaung:, “stream”). STEDT notes that this does not account for the *-n coda.

STEDT instead compares it to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-t(w)əj-n ~ m-ti-s (“water; fluid; liquid; river; soak; spit”), whence 涕 (OC *tʰiːlʔ, “tears”), Proto-Kuki-Chin *tuj (“water; fluid; liquid”), Chepang तीः (“water; rain; river”); this depends on a reconstruction with a dental initial and requires positing an *‑n suffix not present in Tibeto-Burman languages.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): chuān (chuan¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄨㄢ

  (Chengdu, SP): cuan¹

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): чүан (čüan, I)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): cyun¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): cun¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): con¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): chhôn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): con¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): cuan¹
• Min Bei (KCR): chṳ́ing
• Min Dong (BUC): chuŏng
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): chhoan / chhng / chhuiⁿ

  (Teochew, Peng'im): cuang¹ / cuêng¹ / ceng¹

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Shanghainese): ¹tshoe
• Xiang (Wiktionary): qyenn¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chuān
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄨㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chuan
    • Wade–Giles: chʻuan¹
    • Yale: chwān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chuan
    • Palladius: чуань (čuanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: cuan¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: cuan
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰuan⁵⁵/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: чүан (čüan, I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰyæ̃²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: cyun¹
    • Yale: chyūn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsyn¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: qun¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ʃʰyːn⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: cun¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰun³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: con¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɵn⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhôn
    • Hakka Romanization System: con´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: con¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰon²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: con¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰɔn⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: cuan¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡sʰuæ̃¹¹/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: chṳ́ing
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰyiŋ⁵⁴/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: chuŏng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰuoŋ⁵⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhoan
    • Tâi-lô: tshuan
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhoafn
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /t͡sʰuan⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sʰuan³³/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Hsinchu, Lukang, Sanxia, Kinmen, Magong)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhng
    • Tâi-lô: tshng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhngf
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Lukang): /t͡sʰŋ̍³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Kinmen): /t͡sʰŋ̍⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Yilan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhuiⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: tshuinn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhvuy
    • IPA (Zhangzhou, Yilan): /t͡sʰuĩ⁴⁴/

Note:

• chhoan - literary;
• chhng/chhuiⁿ - vernacular (only used in 尻川).

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: cuang¹ / cuêng¹ / ceng¹
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tshuang / tshueng / tshṳng
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰuaŋ³³/, /t͡sʰueŋ³³/, /t͡sʰɯŋ³³/

Note:

• cuang1/cuêng1 - literary (cuêng1 - Chaozhou);
• ceng1 - vernacular (only used in 尻川).

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wugniu: ¹tshoe
  • Wiktionary Romanisation: ¹tshoe
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰø⁵³/

Xiang

• (Changsha)
  • Wiktionary: qyenn¹
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰyẽ³³/

---

• Middle Chinese: tsyhwen

Rime
Character	川
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	昌 (24)
Final (韻)	仙 (78)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	昌緣切
Baxter	tsyhwen
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ɕʰiuᴇn/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡ɕʰʷiɛn/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ɕʰjuæn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/cʰwian/
Li Rong	/t͡ɕʰiuɛn/
Wang Li	/t͡ɕʰĭwɛn/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡ɕʰi̯wɛn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	chuān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	cyun1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*t.l̥u[n]/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kʰjon/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	川
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	chuān
Middle Chinese	‹ tsyhwen ›
Old Chinese	/*t.l̥u[n]/ (MC -jwen is irregular)
English	stream, river
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	川
Reading #	1/1
No.	1628
Phonetic component	川
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	穿
Old Chinese	/*kʰjon/

Definitions

川

1. river; stream; brook

   川流不息  ―  chuānliúbùxī  ―  to flow continuously

2. Short for 四川 (Sìchuān, “Sichuan Province, China”).

   川菜  ―  chuāncài  ―  Sichuan cuisine

3. plain

   平川  ―  píngchuān  ―  plain

4. road
5. Synonym of 汆 (cuān, “to boil food for a short time in boiled water”)
6. Alternative form of 穿 (chuān)
7. (Internet slang) Short for 川普 (Chuānpǔ, “Donald Trump”).

   挺川  ―  tǐngchuān  ―  to support Donald Trump

   川粉  ―  chuānfěn  ―  Trumpster

8. a surname

See also

• 河 (hé)
• 江 (jiāng)
• 溪 (xī)

Compounds

• 一馬平川／一马平川 (yīmǎpíngchuān)
• 三川
• 中川 (Zhōngchuān)
• 伊川 (Yīchuān)
• 信濃川／信浓川
• 八水三川
• 冰川 (bīngchuān)
• 利川 (Lìchuān)
• 名山大川
• 吳川／吴川 (Wúchuān)
• 四川 (Sìchuān)
• 均川 (Jūnchuān)
• 大川 (dàchuān)
• 大金川
• 大陸冰川／大陆冰川
• 婺川
• 小川 (Xiǎochuān)
• 山川 (shānchuān)
• 川劇／川剧 (chuānjù)
• 川后
• 川土
• 川堂
• 川崎 (Chuānqí)
• 川崎症
• 川店 (Chuāndiàn)
• 川底下 (Chuāndǐxià)
• 川柳
• 川椒
• 川流
• 川流不息 (chuānliúbùxī)
• 川渟嶽峙／川渟岳峙
• 川澤／川泽
• 川澤納汙／川泽纳污
• 川瀆／川渎
• 川穀／川谷
• 川芎
• 川貝／川贝
• 川費／川费 (chuānfèi)
• 川資／川资 (chuānzī)
• 川軍／川军
• 川連／川连
• 川陸／川陆
• 川鹽／川盐
• 巨川
• 常川 (chángchuān)
• 平川 (píngchuān)
• 德川 (Déchuān)
• 梅川 (Méichuān)
• 汶川 (Wènchuān)
• 河川 (héchuān)
• 河川襲奪／河川袭夺
• 流血成川
• 淅川 (Xīchuān)
• 漢川／汉川 (Hànchuān)
• 潁川／颍川 (Yǐngchuān)
• 百川 (bǎichuān)
• 百川學海／百川学海
• 百川歸海／百川归海 (bǎichuānguīhǎi)
• 盤川／盘川 (pánchuān)
• 眠川
• 眾川赴海／众川赴海
• 秦川
• 秦川女
• 臨川羨魚／临川羡鱼
• 芥川賞／芥川赏
• 荊川集／荆川集
• 跋山涉川
• 跋涉山川
• 輞川／辋川 (Wǎngchuān)
• 逝川
• 邢川 (Xíngchuān)
• 金川 (Jīnchuān)
• 銀川／银川 (Yínchuān)
• 鎮川／镇川 (Zhènchuān)
• 長川／长川 (chángchuān)
• 防川 (Fángchuān, “Fangchuan”)
• 陸川／陆川 (Lùchuān)
• 雲貴川／云贵川 (Yúnguìchuān)
• 靈川／灵川 (Língchuān)
• 麓川

 

References

• “川”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[2], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

川

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. river

Readings

• Go-on: せん (sen, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: せん (sen, Jōyō)
• Kun: かわ (kawa, 川, Jōyō)^{←かは (kafa, 川, historical)}
• Nanori: か (ka); こ (ko); さわ (sawa)

Compounds

Compounds

• 川(かわ)上(かみ) (kawakami, “upstream”)
• 川(かわ)下(しも) (kawashimo, “downstream”)
• 川(かわ)岸(ぎし) (kawagishi, “river bank”)
• 川(かわ)口(ぐち) (kawaguchi, “mouth of river”)
• 川(かわ)崎(さき) (Kawasaki, “Kawasaki”)
• 川(かわ)瀬(せ) (kawase, “rapids”)
• 川(かわ)蝉(せみ) (kawasemi, “kingfisher”)
• 川(かわ)端(ばた) (kawabata, “riverbank”)
• 川(かわ)縁(ぶち) (kawabuchi), 川(かわ)縁(べり) (kawaberi, “riverside”)
• 川(かわ)獺(うそ) (kawauso, “otter”)
• 川(かわ)嫁(よめ) (kawayome, “river nymph”)
• 川(かわ)原(ら) (kawara, “riparian plain, flats alongside a river”)
• 川(せん)柳(りゅう) (senryū, “comic haiku”)
• 小(お)川(がわ) (ogawa, “brook”)
• 河(か)川(せん) (kasen, “rivers”)
• 山(さん)川(せん) (sansen, “mountains and rivers”)
• 滝(たき)川(がわ) (takigawa, “rapids”)
• 谷(たに)川(がわ) (tanigawa, “mountain stream”)
• 堀(ほり)川(かわ) (horikawa, “canal”)
• 淀(よど)川(がわ) (Yodogawa, “Yodogawa River”)
• 川(かわ)下(くだ)り (kawakudari, “going downstream”)
• 川(かわ)沿(ぞ)い (kawazoi, “along the river”)
• ドン川(がわ) (Don-gawa, “Don River”)
• 天(あま)の川(がわ) (Ama no gawa, “Milky Way”)
• 江(え)戸(ど)川(がわ) (Edogawa, “Edo River”)
• 角(かど)川(かわ) (Kadokawa, “surname”)
• 河(か)川(せん)敷(しき) (kasenshiki, “riverbed”)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
川
かわ Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
河

From Old Japanese kapa from Proto-Japonic *kapa.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) かわ​ [kàwáꜜ] (Odaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [ka̠ɰᵝa̠]

• (Kagoshima) IPA^(key): [ko̞ː]

Noun

川(かわ) • (kawa) ^{←かは (kafa)?}

1. river, stream, brook

Alternative forms

• 河

Synonyms

• 河(か)川(せん) (kasen)

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 川 (MC tsyhwen).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	ᄎᆑᆫ (Yale: chywèn)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[3]	내〯 (Yale: nǎy)	쳔 (Yale: chyèn)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕʰʌ̹n]
• Phonetic hangul: [천]

Hanja

Wikisource

川 (eumhun 내 천 (nae cheon))

1. Hanja form^? of 천 (“river; stream”). [affix]

Compounds

Compounds

• 산천 (山川, sancheon)
• 인천 (仁川, Incheon)
• 천렵 (川獵, cheollyeop)
• 하천 (河川, hacheon)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [4]

Vietnamese

Han character

川: Hán Nôm readings: xuyên

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.