The kanji 溝 primarily represents a "ditch," "gully," "channel," or "groove." It refers to a narrow depression in the ground, often formed by erosion or for drainage. It can also describe a similar indentation or furrow on a surface.

・On-yomi (音読み): コウ (kō) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): みぞ (mizo)

⚫︎ 側溝 Translation: gutter; side ditch ⚫︎ 溝を掘る Translation: to dig a ditch; to dig a trench ⚫︎ 水路の溝 Translation: water channel ditch

The kanji 溝 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). It combines the semantic component 氵 (water, represented as three dots: 氵) and the phonetic component 㳂. The component 氵 indicates the meaning has something to do with water, and the phonetic component 㳂 represents the sound and suggests the meaning of a narrow path or channel where water flows.