河川 (hé chuān) — rivers (collective term for rivers and streams)

Definition

A collective/formal term for rivers and streams, typically used in written or scientific contexts (e.g., ecology, geography) rather than everyday speech.

noun
rivers (collective term for rivers and streams)
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 河川。
    Zhè tiáo hé chuān de yuán tóu zài shān shàng.
    The source of this river is in the mountains.
  • 河川。
    Bǎo hù hé chuān shēng tài fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    Protecting river ecology is very important.
  • 河川。
    Zhè ge dì qū yǒu fēng fù de hé chuān zī yuán.
    This region has abundant river resources.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

河hériver
川chuānstream

河 and 川 both mean river or stream, together forming a collective term for waterways.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
何
何hé河hé
Same sound today

河 pairs 水 (water) with 何, which gives the sound. The 水 part marks it as a word for a river.

Open 河 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

川 is drawn to look like flowing water.

Open 川 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.