字 字源HanziOrigin
中文EnglishFrançaisEspañolالعربيةРусский
川
chuān
stream
At a glance · 川

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

川 Evolution of the glyph
  1. 川 Object sketch
    Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
  2. 川 Oracle bone
    Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
  3. 川 Seal script
    Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
  4. 川 Clerical script
    Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
  5. 川 Regular script
    Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

「川」甲骨文象两岸间流水之形，金文小篆一脉相承。

What the sketch shows

川 Object sketch

Origins & notes

「川」本义为河流，引申平川、川地。

Structure

象形字，象水流贯于两岸之间，本为河流之形。

At a glance

Pinyinchuān
Radical川
Strokes3
UnicodeU+5DDD
Character type象形
Theme地理

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English stream stream, river; flow; boil
Français rivière Rivière, cours d'eau. «川流不息» : le fleuve coule sans fin.
Español río Río, corriente. «川流不息»: el río fluye sin fin.
العربية نهر نهر، مجرى. «川流不息»: النهر يسري بلا انقطاع.
Русский река Река, поток. «川流不息»: река течёт бесконечно.

Common words

  • 山川shān chuānmountains and rivers
  • 川chuānriver

Related characters

州