The kanji character 川 represents a "river" or "stream". It visually depicts a flowing body of water. The core meaning is the concept of water moving along a defined course, such as a river. It also symbolizes flowing, moving, and direction.

・On-yomi (音読み): セン (sen) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): 川 (kawa) or 川 (gawa)

⚫︎ 川 (kawa) Translation: river ⚫︎ 小川 (ogawa) Translation: stream, brook ⚫︎ 河川 (kasen) Translation: rivers

The kanji 川 is a pictograph. It directly depicts a river flowing. The three lines represent the river's course, with the flow of water. The lines' arrangement suggests the river's banks. It is a simple and intuitive representation of a natural element. This form has remained relatively consistent over time.