河 meaning and stroke order
River (CL:條|条[tiao2],道[dao4]); (bound form) the Yellow River; (bound form) the Milky Way
How to write 河, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 河
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- river (CL:條|条[tiao2],道[dao4])
- (bound form) the Yellow River
- (bound form) the Milky Way
- (bound form) (on restaurant menus) rice noodles 河粉[he2 fen3]
How 河 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 可 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 河
河 is water 氵 on the left plus 可 (kě) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture three drops of water flowing past the character 可 to remember that 河 (hé) is a river.
河 is the everyday word for a river, and it is counted with 条 (tiáo). It also appears in many compounds like 河边 (hébiān, riverbank) and 河马 (hémǎ, hippo). Example: 这条河很长。 (Zhè tiáo hé hěn cháng.) This river is very long.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 河 (hé) with 何 (hé, what), which has the same sound and the same 可 part but uses the person radical 亻 instead of water 氵. Another common slip is reading 可 as kě inside 河. The character is said hé, not kě.
Common words with 河
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 河流 | héliú | river | HSK 7-9 |
| 运河 | yùnhé | canal | HSK 7-9 |
| 河畔 | hépàn | riverside; river plain | HSK 7-9 |
| 河边 | hébiān | river bank | |
| 爱河 | àihé | the river of love; a stumbling block on the path to enlightenment (Buddhism) | |
| 冰河 | bīnghé | glacier | |
| 河水 | héshuǐ | river water | |
| 河马 | hémǎ | hippopotamus | |
| 过河 | guòhé | to cross a river | |
| 河岸 | hé'àn | riverside; river bank | |
| 河谷 | hégǔ | river valley | |
| 血流成河 | xuèliúchénghé | rivers of blood (idiom); bloodbath | |
| 大河 | dàhé | large river (esp the Yellow River) | |
| 河床 | héchuáng | riverbed |
河 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 河
Learning 河 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 河
How many strokes are in 河?
河 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 河 mean?
河 (hé) means river (CL:條|条[tiao2],道[dao4]); (bound form) the Yellow River; (bound form) the Milky Way. A common word with it is 河流 (héliú), meaning "river".
How do you pronounce 河?
河 is pronounced hé, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 河?
The radical of 河 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 河 under this radical.
Is 河 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 河 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 河 and 江?
Both mean river. 江 (jiāng) is often used for very large rivers, especially in the south, like 长江 (Chángjiāng). 河 is the general word and is used in names like 黄河 (Huánghé), the Yellow River.
Why does 河 appear on restaurant menus?
On menus 河 can be short for 河粉 (héfěn), wide flat rice noodles. For example, 牛肉炒河 means stir-fried rice noodles with beef.