Writing
河 (hé) — how to say "river" in Chinese
河
River
noun
Radicals / Keys
Water
#85 · shuǐ · 4 strokes
Synonyms
Collocations
过河
guò hé
cross a river
大河
dà hé
big river
河边
hé biān
riverside
Examples
夏天的时候,我们常去河边游泳。
In summer, we often go swimming by the river.
这条河很长。
This river is very long.
Mnemonic

[hé-] Harry the Hiker stumbles upon a river 河 🌊 in the wilderness. He sees a horizontal line [氵] that resembles the flowing water of the river. Excited, he sets up camp by the 河, sketching it in his travel journal as a highlight of his adventure.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "river" in Chinese?
"river" in Chinese is 河 (hé).
What does 河 mean in English?
河 (hé) means "River".
How is 河 pronounced?
It is pronounced hé (written as he). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
River in Chinese character
It is written 河 and has 8 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 河?
河 belongs to the HSK 3 vocabulary list.
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