• 川かわ — river
• 川辺かわべ — riverside
• 山川さんせん — mountains and rivers
• 河川かせん — rivers (formal term)
• 大川おおかわ — large river
• 川口かわぐち — river mouth (also a place name)

“川” is a pictographic character representing flowing water between riverbanks. It appears in daily vocabulary and many geographical names across Japan — such as 荒川 (Arakawa), 多摩川 (Tamagawa), and 信濃川 (Shinanogawa). In poetic language, it’s often used to express calm flow, nature, or life itself.

川かわで 魚さかなを 見みました。
I saw fish in the river.

川辺かわべで ピクニックをしました。
We had a picnic by the riverside.