河川

• Reading: かせん
• Romaji: kasen
• Kanji breakdown: 河 (ka) — river (large); 川 (sen) — river (general)
• Pronunciation: /ka.seɴ/

Meaning

Rivers. A formal collective term for rivers and waterways.

A noun that is more formal and administrative than 川 (kawa, river). Used in official documents, news reports, and policy discussions about rivers, flood control, and water management. Often appears in compounds like 河川敷 (kasenshiki, riverbed/floodplain) and 河川工事 (kasen kouji, river construction work). Both kanji independently mean 'river,' creating an emphatic compound.

Examples

1. 河川の氾濫を防ぐために堤防が整備された。 Embankments were built to prevent rivers from flooding.
2. この地域には大小さまざまな河川がある。 This region has rivers of all different sizes.
3. 河川の水質調査が毎月行われている。 Water quality surveys of the rivers are conducted every month.

Usage Guide

Context: government, infrastructure, news

Tone: official

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 河 (ka, river — large river) + 川 (sen, river — general). A near-synonym compound where both characters mean river, with 河 traditionally referring to larger rivers.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal