Kanji Study

Bushu (Radical) Info: 水 (みず) – water

Henshall Mnemonic: hair and water flow as child is born

Levels: JLPT N3 | JLPT 2 (old) | Grade 3
Frequency: #280 of the 2500 most used kanji in newspapers

Common Words and/or Phrases Using this Kanji:

Click any individual kanji to view a similar information sheet for it.
Click [K] to look up the word's individual character(s) at WWWJDIC.
Click [D] to look up the word at WWWJDIC (definition is the same but other useful features exist).
Click [Jisho] to look up the word at Jisho.org.

JLPT N3 Words

• 流す   [ながす]
  (v5s) to drain; to float; to shed (blood, tears); to cruise (e.g. taxi)   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流れ   [ながれ]
  (n) stream; current   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流れる   [ながれる]
  (v1) to stream; to flow (liquid, time, etc.); to run (ink); to be washed away   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流行   [りゅうこう]
  (n,vs) fashionable; fad; in vogue; prevailing   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N2 Words

• 一流   [いちりゅう]
  (n) first-class; top grade; school (of art); foremost; top-notch; unique   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 交流   [こうりゅう]
  (n) alternating current; intercourse; (cultural) exchange; intermingling   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流域   [りゅういき]
  (n) (river) basin   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流行る   [はやる]
  (v5r) to flourish; to thrive; to be popular; to come into fashion   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流石   [さすが]
  (adj-na,adv,n) (uk) clever; adept; good; expectations; as one would expect   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 電流   [でんりゅう]
  (n) electric current   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N1 Words

• 流   [りゅう]
  (n,n-suf) style of; method of; manner of; school (of thought)   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流し   [ながし]
  (n) sink   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流行   [はやり]
  (n,vs) fashionable; fad; in vogue; prevailing   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流通   [りゅうつう]
  (n) circulation of money or goods; flow of water or air; distribution   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 海流   [かいりゅう]
  (n) ocean current   [K] [D] [Jisho]

Other Popular Words Not Classified by JLPT

• 濁流   [だくりゅう]
  (n) muddy stream   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 清流   [せいりゅう]
  (n) clear stream   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 二流   [にりゅう]
  (n) second-rate; inferior   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 渓流   [けいりゅう]
  (n) mountain stream   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 潮流   [ちょうりゅう]
  (n) tide; tidal current; trend   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 還流   [かんりゅう]
  (n) return current; convection; reflux   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 主流   [しゅりゅう]
  (n) main current (stream)   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 風流   [ふうりゅう]
  (adj-na,n) elegance; taste; refinement   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 源流   [げんりゅう]
  (n) current-limiting   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 漂流   [ひょうりゅう]
  (n,vs) drifting; drift   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 上流   [じょうりゅう]
  (n) upper stream; upper classes   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 亜流   [ありゅう]
  (n) bad second; epigone; adherent; follower; imitator   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流れ込む   [ながれこむ]
  (v5m) to flow; to pour; to stream   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流れ星   [ながれぼし]
  (n) shooting star; meteor   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 暖流   [だんりゅう]
  (n) warm current   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 中流   [ちゅうりゅう]
  (n) mid-stream; middle course; middle class   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流血   [りゅうけつ]
  (n) bloodshed   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 支流   [しりゅう]
  (n) tributary; branch   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流行歌   [りゅうこうか]
  (n) popular song; hit song   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流出   [りゅうしゅつ]
  (n) discharge; outward flow   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 激流   [げきりゅう]
  (n) raging stream; rapids   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流暢   [りゅうちょう]
  (adj-na,n) fluent (language skill); flowing   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 三流   [さんりゅう]
  (n) 3rd rate   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流動   [りゅうどう]
  (n,vs) flow   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 流動的   [りゅうどうてき]
  (adj-na,n) fluid; unsettled   [K] [D] [Jisho]

Find more details for 流 at jisho.org, Yookoso! or WWWJDIC

Acknowledgments

The sofware used to generate this kanji information uses the EDICT and KANJIDIC files. These files are the property of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group at Monash University and are used in conformance with the Group's license.

NOTE: I converted the sources just mentioned years ago and have never really updated so there may be some missing or incorrect information that has been addressed in the original sources but not here.

The first Stroke Order image used on this page is courtesy of Ulrich Apel's excellent open source KanjiVG project. The second image is from the folks at the excellent Jisho Japanese-English dictionary site and it too is based on KanjiVG.

Classifying the kanji and popular vocabulary by the new JLPT levels was done by consulting Jonathan Waller‘s JLPT Resources page, renshuu, Wictionary, and Nihongo Ichiban.

The Henshall Mnemonics are the copyright of Tuttle Publishing and are the result of the hard work by Professor Henshall. See the list I used here.

If you are curious about the lexicography shown in the word definitions, visit the WWWJDIC abbreviations and codes guide and the JMdict/Edict Lexicographical details page.