What is the Kanji for "Flow"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Flow", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Flow" is "流".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Naga".

Its onyomi reading is "Ryuu".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 4 parts:

The radical "氵" means "Water" . The kanji "川" means "River" and can be read as "Kawa" and "Sen". The radical "亠" means "Lid" . And The radical "厶" means "Private" .

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "流" mean in japanese?

"流" means "Flow".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N3 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

流れる: "Flow". The Japanese verb '流れる (ながれる)' means 'to flow'. This verb is used to describe the movement of a liquid, gas or other substance in a continuous way. It can also be used figuratively to describe the progression or development of something over time. For example: Water flows through the river - (水が川を流れる). Time flows by - (時間が流れていく).

流れ: "Flow". The Japanese noun '流れ (ながれ)' refers to the act or process of flowing. It can be used to describe the movement of liquids, gases, or even abstract concepts like time or events. For example: The flow of the river - (川の流れ). The flow of time - (時間の流れ).

流す: "Flow" or "Pour". The Japanese verb '流す (ながす)' can have two main meanings. The first meaning is 'to flow', as in a river flowing. For example: The river flows quickly - (川が速く流れています). The second meaning is 'to pour', as in pouring liquid from one container to another. For example: I poured the water into the glass - (水をコップに流した)。The verb can be used for literal physical flows and pours, as well as more abstract concepts of letting something move or transfer from one place to another.

流石: "Admirable" or "Superior". The Japanese word '流石 (さすが)' is an adjectival noun that expresses admiration or recognition of someone's superior abilities or qualities. It is often used to describe someone who has lived up to their reputation or exceeded expectations. For example: He is an admirable chef - (彼はさすがのシェフだ). As expected, she performed excellently - (さすがの彼女、素晴らしいパフォーマンスだった).

流: "Flow" or "Style". The Japanese suffix '流 (りゅう)' has two main meanings. The first meaning is 'flow', and it is used to indicate a certain style, method, or school of thought. For example, 茶道流 (さどうりゅう) - 'the tea ceremony style/school'. The second meaning is 'style', and it is used to indicate a particular way of doing something or a particular tradition. For example, 武術流派 (ぶじゅつりゅうは) - 'a school/style of martial arts'.

交流: "Exchange". The verbal noun '交流 (こうりゅう)' means 'exchange'. It refers to the act of reciprocal communication or interaction between two or more parties, such as an exchange of ideas, information, or experiences. For example: International exchange - (国際交流). There was an cultural exchange between the two countries - (その二ヵ国の間で文化交流があった).

下流: "Downstream". The noun '下流 (かりゅう)' refers to the part of a river or stream that is located downstream, or further away from the source. It is the opposite of '上流 (じょうりゅう)', which means 'upstream'. This term is often used in a figurative sense to refer to a decline in social or economic status, as in 'he has fallen into the downward stream'. Example: The boat drifted into the strong current of the downstream - (ボートは下流の強い潮流に流されていった).

海流: "Ocean current". The Japanese noun '海流 (かいりゅう)' refers to the large-scale movement of ocean water, driven by factors such as wind, temperature, and salinity differences. Ocean currents play a crucial role in regulating global climate and weather patterns. For example: The warm ocean current keeps this region mild in the winter - (この地域は、暖かい海流のため、冬も穏やかな気候が続く). Ocean currents influence marine ecosystems and the distribution of marine life - (海流は海洋生態系や海洋生物の分布に影響を及ぼす).

三流: "Third-rate" or "Inferior". The noun '三流 (さんりゅう)' refers to something or someone that is of low quality, substandard or inferior. It is used to indicate that something is of the lowest or third-best ranking, quality or class. For example: He is a third-rate actor - (彼は三流の俳優だ). That restaurant is third-rate - (あの店は三流だ).

流行る: "Be popular". The Japanese verb '流行る (はやる)' means 'to be popular'. It is used to describe something that has become fashionable or widely accepted. This can include trends, products, or cultural phenomena. For example: New fashion trends are becoming popular - (新しいファッショントレンドが流行っている). Anime is very popular these days - (最近アニメが本当に流行っている).

主流: "Mainstream". The Japanese noun '主流 (しゅりゅう)' refers to the 'mainstream' or dominant trend, style, or way of thinking within a particular field or society. It is used to describe the most common or widely accepted ideology, opinion, or practice. For example: The mainstream view is that... - (主流の意見は...). This word often carries the connotation of something being the most popular or widely adopted option, rather than necessarily being the best or most correct one.

一流: "Elite" or "Top-class". The Japanese noun '一流 (いちりゅう)' refers to something or someone of the highest quality, standard, or caliber. It is used to describe elite, top-class, or first-rate individuals, products, or services. For example: She is an elite fashion designer - (彼女は一流のファッションデザイナーです). This restaurant is top-class - (この料理店は一流です).

上流: "Upper class" or "High society". The noun '上流 (じょうりゅう)' refers to the upper class or high society of a community. It describes people or groups that are of a high social, economic, or political standing. 上流の人たち - (The upper class people). 彼は上流社会に属している - (He belongs to high society).

流通: "Distribution". The Japanese verbal noun '流通 (りゅうつう)' means 'distribution'. This term refers to the process by which goods or services are made available to consumers, including transportation, storage, and marketing. It is an important concept in business and economics. For example: The distribution network of the company is extensive - (会社の流通網は広範囲). Distribution costs are a major part of the total expenses - (流通コストは総経費の大部分を占める).

中流: "Middle class". The Japanese noun '中流 (ちゅうりゅう)' refers to the middle class in society. It describes the socioeconomic group that is neither the wealthy upper class nor the poor lower class, but rather falls in the middle in terms of income, lifestyle, and social status. This term is commonly used to categorize the economic and social standing of individuals and families. For example: They belong to the middle class - (彼らは中流階級に属している). The middle class is growing in Japan - (日本の中流階級は増えつつある).

二流: "Second-rate" or "Inferior". The Japanese noun '二流 (にりゅう)' means 'second-rate' or 'inferior'. It is used to describe something or someone that is of a lower quality, standard, or ability compared to others. It suggests that the subject is not the best or most outstanding in its category. For example: He is a second-rate actor - (彼は二流の俳優だ). This university is only second-rate - (この大学は二流だ).

流行: "Trend". The verbal noun '流行 (りゅうこう)' refers to a popular trend or fashion that is currently widespread or widely accepted in society. It implies something that is currently very popular or in vogue. For example: The latest fashion trend - (最新の流行). That style is so trendy right now - (あのスタイルがすごく流行っている).

流動: "Fluidity" or "Flow". The Japanese noun '流動 (りゅうどう)' refers to the state or property of being fluid, liquid, or flowing. It can describe the physical movement or motion of a substance, as well as more abstract ideas of change or progression. For example: The fluidity of the water - (水の流動)は美しい. The flow of time - (時間の)流動は早い.

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "り" is read as "ri". The hiragana "う" is read as "u". The hiragana "な" is read as "na". And The hiragana "が" is read as "ga".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.