江

江 U+6C5F, 江 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6C5F ← 汞 [U+6C5E] CJK Unified Ideographs 池 → [U+6C60]

Translingual

Han character

Stroke order

江 (Kangxi radical 85, 水+3, 6 strokes, cangjie input 水一 (EM), four-corner 3111₀, composition ⿰氵工)

Derived characters

• 𰂂, 𭇮, 𡷍, 𢏠, 𢬥, 𭥺, 𣑴, 𥆀, 𭁑, 䑭, 𨀹, 𪀤
• 𬇧, 㳩, 㴂, 𣽝, 鴻(鸿), 𭳼, 𬻶, 𤭊, 茳, 𥬮, 𮤏, 𭍟, 𮤏(𮤳)

Descendants

• エ (Japanese katakana)
• 𛀁 (Japanese hentaigana)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 606, character 4
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 17140
• Dae Jaweon: page 999, character 13
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 1551, character 3
• Unihan data for U+6C5F

Chinese

simp. and trad.		江
alternative forms		𬇔 𣲅

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 江
Warring States
Bronze inscriptions

Characters in the same phonetic series (工) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
缸	*kroːŋ, *ɡroːŋ
篢	*kluːmʔ, *koːŋ
贑	*kluːmʔ
涳	*ŋr'oːŋ, *kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋ
江	*kroːŋ
肛	*kroːŋ, *qʰroːŋ
扛	*kroːŋ
杠	*kroːŋ
豇	*kroːŋ
茳	*kroːŋ
釭	*kroːŋ, *koːŋ, *kuːŋ
矼	*kroːŋ
玒	*kroːŋ, *koːŋ
虹	*kroːŋs, *koːŋs, *ɡoːŋ
腔	*kʰroːŋ
崆	*kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋ
羫	*kʰroːŋ
控	*kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋs
椌	*kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋ
悾	*kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋ, *kʰoːŋs
跫	*kʰroːŋ, *kʰoŋ, *ɡoŋ
啌	*qʰroːŋ
谾	*qʰroːŋ, *qʰoːŋ
舡	*qʰroːŋ
缻	*ɡroːŋ
項	*ɡroːŋʔ
屸	*ɡ·roːŋ
功	*koːŋ
工	*koːŋ
疘	*koːŋ
魟	*koːŋ, *qʰoːŋ, *ɡoːŋ
攻	*koːŋ, *kuːŋ
愩	*koːŋ
碽	*koːŋ
貢	*koːŋs
羾	*koːŋs
空	*kʰoːŋ, *kʰoːŋs
箜	*kʰoːŋ
硿	*kʰoːŋ
埪	*kʰoːŋ
鵼	*kʰoːŋ
倥	*kʰoːŋ, *kʰoːŋʔ, *kʰoːŋs
鞚	*kʰoːŋs
叿	*qʰoːŋ
嗊	*qʰoːŋʔ
訌	*ɡoːŋ
紅	*ɡoːŋ
仜	*ɡoːŋ
葒	*ɡoːŋ
渱	*ɡoːŋ
鴻	*ɡoːŋ, *ɡoːŋʔ
汞	*ɡoːŋʔ
澒	*ɡoːŋʔ
鞏	*koŋʔ
巩	*koŋʔ
銎	*kʰoŋ, *qʰoŋ
恐	*kʰoŋʔ, *kʰoŋs
蛩	*ɡoŋ
筇	*ɡoŋ
桏	*ɡoŋ
邛	*ɡoŋ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kroːŋ) : semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 工 (OC *koːŋ).

Etymology 1

"Yangtze River"

Borrowed from a substrate Austroasiatic language as Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kl(j)u(ŋ/k) (“river, valley”); compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *ruŋ ~ ruuŋ ~ ruəŋ (“river”) > Proto-Vietic *k-roːŋ (“river”) (Vietnamese sông), Mon ကြုၚ် (krɜŋ, “small river, creek”).

Derivative: 港 (OC *kroːŋʔ, *ɡloːŋs, “harbour”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): jiāng (jiang¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄤ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): jiang¹

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): җён (ži͡on, I)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gong¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): gong¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): gong¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): kông

  (Meixian, Guangdong): gong¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): jiang¹
• Northern Min (KCR): gó̤ng
• Eastern Min (BUC): gĕ̤ng / gŏng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): kang

  (Teochew, Peng'im): gang¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹kaon; ¹cian
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): jian¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jiāng
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄤ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jiang
    • Wade–Giles: chiang¹
    • Yale: jyāng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiang
    • Palladius: цзян (czjan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: jiang¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: giang
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiaŋ⁵⁵/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: җён (ži͡on, I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiɑŋ²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: gong¹
    • Yale: gōng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gong¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: gong¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔːŋ⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: gong¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔŋ³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: gong¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔŋ⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kông
    • Hakka Romanization System: gong´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gong¹
    • Sinological IPA: /koŋ²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: gong¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kɔŋ⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: jiang¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕiaŋ¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gó̤ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔŋ⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: gĕ̤ng / gŏng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /køyŋ⁵⁵/, /kouŋ⁵⁵/

Note: gĕ̤ng - refers to rivers, gŏng - used in place names or as a surname.

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kang
    • Tâi-lô: kang
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kafng
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kaŋ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kaŋ³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kaŋ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kaŋ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kaŋ⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: gang¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kang
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaŋ³³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹kaon; ¹cian
    • MiniDict: kaon^平; cian^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹kaan; ¹jian
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kɑ̃⁵³/, /t͡ɕiã⁵³/

Note: 1kaan - vernacular and common literary, 1jian - rare literary.

• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: jian¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯æn³³/

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• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 江
Mandarin	Beijing	/t͡ɕiɑŋ⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/t͡ɕiaŋ⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/t͡ɕiɑŋ²¹/
	Jinan	/t͡ɕiaŋ²¹³/
	Qingdao	/t͡ɕiaŋ²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/t͡ɕiaŋ²⁴/
	Xi'an	/t͡ɕiaŋ²¹/
	Xining	/t͡ɕiɔ̃⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/t͡ɕiɑŋ⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/t͡ɕiɑ̃³¹/
	Ürümqi	/t͡ɕiɑŋ⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/t͡ɕiaŋ⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/t͡ɕiaŋ⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/t͡ɕiaŋ⁵⁵/
	Kunming	/t͡ɕiã̠⁴⁴/
	Nanjing	/t͡ɕiaŋ³¹/
	Hefei	/t͡ɕiɑ̃²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/t͡ɕiɒ̃¹¹/
	Pingyao	/t͡ɕiɑŋ¹³/
	Hohhot	/t͡ɕiɑ̃³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/kɑ̃⁵³/ /t͡ɕiã⁵³/
	Suzhou	/t͡ɕiɑ̃⁵⁵/ /kɑ̃⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/t͡ɕiɑŋ³³/
	Wenzhou	/kuɔ³³/
Hui	Shexian	/t͡ɕia³¹/ ～淮 /ka³¹/ 姓～
	Tunxi	/kau¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/t͡ɕian³³/
	Xiangtan	/t͡ɕian³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/kɔŋ⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/koŋ⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/koŋ²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/kɔŋ⁵³/
	Nanning	/kɔŋ⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/kɔŋ⁵⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/kaŋ⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/køyŋ⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/kɔŋ⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/kaŋ³³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/koŋ²³/ /kiaŋ²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: kaewng

Rime
Character	江
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	江 (9)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	II
Fanqie	古雙切
Baxter	kaewng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kˠʌŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/kᵚɔŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/kɔŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kaɨwŋ/
Li Rong	/kɔŋ/
Wang Li	/kɔŋ/
Bernard Karlgren	/kɔŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jiāng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gong1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*kˤroŋ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kroːŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	江
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jiāng
Middle Chinese	‹ kæwng ›
Old Chinese	/*kˁroŋ/
English	(Yangzi) river
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	江
Reading #	1/1
No.	3995
Phonetic component	工
Rime group	東
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	江
Old Chinese	/*kroːŋ/

Definitions

江

1. Yangtze River
   • c. 4th century BCE, 孟子 [Mencius], 孟子 [Mencius]:

     決汝漢，排淮泗，而注之江。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     决汝汉，排淮泗，而注之江。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     Jué Rǔ Hàn, pái Huái Sì, ér zhù zhī Jiāng. [Pinyin]

     He opened a vent also for the Ru and Han, and regulated the course of the Huai and Si, so that they all flowed into the Jiang.

2. (by extension) river (Classifier: 條／条)
3. (～日) (telegraphy) the third day of a month
4. a surname: Jiang (mainland China), Chiang (Taiwan), Kong (Hong Kong), Kiang (Old fashion)

   江澤民／江泽民  ―  Jiāng Zémín  ―  Jiang Zemin

Usage notes

The word that referred to a body of flowing water such as stream, creek or river was represented in early Chinese with 水 (shuǐ), a pictograph showing water flowing between two banks, similar to the form of the character 川 (chuān).

In early times, specialized characters were created to represent words that described particular bodies of water. These words often contain the water radical (氵), which was originally written in the same way that the original form of 水 was written.

In early texts, the term 河 (hé) usually referred directly to the 黃河／黄河 (Huáng Hé, “Yellow River”). Over time, 河 became used as a generalized term for rivers that were bigger than a stream. The term is sometimes associated with an 'older' body of flowing water that has a smaller volume. Similarly, 江 was originally the name of the Yangtze River which is a relatively larger body of flowing water. 江 became the standard bearer for a slightly differentiated category of river. It was then applied broadly as a generic term.

Among Chinese users, there are commonly held beliefs about the differences between these near synonyms that may not be reflected in an ordinary dictionary. 江 are often thought of as the larger rivers that are usually in southern China, while 河 are usually rivers with comparatively lesser volume or that are artificial and are usually found in northern China (and may be considered culturally 'older'). These two terms are often the subject of attempts at comparisons. Terms for smaller bodies of flowing water include: 川 (chuān) which are usually mid-sized or relatively small rivers, 溪 (xī) and 流 (liú) which are creeks, streams, brooks, and gullies, and 水 (shuǐ) which are streams (but can also be medium-sized tributary rivers like the Han River (漢水／汉水 (Hànshuǐ)). There are many exceptions to these patterns owing to inconsistent usage of the relevant terms in different forms of Chinese and English over time, and also due to cultural attitudes about proper usage of the terms.

See also

• 河 (hé)
• 川 (chuān)

Compounds

• 一江山
• 一葦渡江／一苇渡江
• 下江 (Xiàjiāng)
• 三江 (Sānjiāng)
• 上江 (shàngjiāng)
• 三江七澤／三江七泽
• 三江五湖
• 下江人
• 下江先生
• 三角江
• 丹江口 (Dānjiāngkǒu)
• 之江 (Zhījiāng)
• 九江 (Jiǔjiāng)
• 京江
• 信江
• 倒海翻江
• 內江／内江 (Nèijiāng)
• 兩江／两江 (Liǎngjiāng)
• 別宮祭江／别宫祭江
• 半壁江山 (bànbìjiāngshān)
• 古江巴格 (Gǔjiāngbāgé)
• 合江 (Héjiāng)
• 吳江／吴江 (Wújiāng)
• 吳淞江／吴淞江 (Wúsōngjiāng)
• 嘉陵江 (Jiālíng Jiāng)
• 圖們江／图们江 (Túmén Jiāng)
• 坐江山
• 外江 (wàijiāng)
• 大江 (dàjiāng)
• 大江南北 (dàjiāngnánběi)
• 大江東去／大江东去
• 姚江
• 姚江學派／姚江学派
• 婁江／娄江
• 嫩江 (Nèn Jiāng)
• 宋江陣／宋江阵
• 岷江 (Mín Jiāng)
• 峽江／峡江
• 左江 (Zuǒjiāng)
• 巴江
• 廉江 (Liánjiāng)
• 怒江 (Nùjiāng)
• 恩梅開江／恩梅开江 (Ēnméikāi Jiāng)
• 愁江恨海
• 投江
• 拉讓江／拉让江 (Lāràngjiāng)
• 揚子江／扬子江 (Yángzǐ Jiāng)
• 攪海翻江／搅海翻江
• 敖江 (Áojiāng)
• 文江學海／文江学海
• 新江口 (Xīnjiāngkǒu)
• 旴江
• 昌江 (Chāngjiāng)
• 春申江 (Chūnshēnjiāng)
• 晉江／晋江 (Jìnjiāng)
• 曲江 (Qūjiāng)
• 曲江宴
• 曲江池
• 曹娥江 (Cáo'éjiāng)
• 枝江 (Zhījiāng, “Zhijiang”)
• 松江 (Sōngjiāng)
• 松花江 (Sōnghuā Jiāng)
• 桂江
• 樊江關／樊江关
• 江下
• 江中釣月／江中钓月
• 江介
• 江北 (Jiāngběi)
• 江北老
• 江南 (Jiāngnán)
• 江南弄
• 江南河
• 江南竹
• 江口 (jiāngkǒu)
• 江右 (Jiāngyòu)
• 江夏 (Jiāngxià)
• 江天
• 江天一色
• 江妃
• 江孜 (Jiāngzī)
• 江寧／江宁 (Jiāngníng)
• 江山 (jiāngshān)
• 江山不老
• 江山之助
• 江山如故
• 江山如畫／江山如画
• 江岸 (jiāng'àn)
• 江州司馬／江州司马
• 江州車／江州车
• 江左 (Jiāngzuǒ)
• 江左夷吾
• 江干
• 江心
• 江心坡 (Jiāngxīnpō)
• 江心補漏／江心补漏
• 江戶／江户 (Jiānghù)
• 江戶幕府／江户幕府 (Jiānghù Mùfǔ)
• 江東／江东 (Jiāngdōng)
• 江東子弟／江东子弟
• 江東步兵／江东步兵
• 江東父老／江东父老
• 江東獨步／江东独步
• 江東紙／江东纸
• 江梅
• 江樓／江楼
• 江水 (jiāngshuǐ)
• 江永 (Jiāngyǒng)
• 江河日下 (jiānghé rìxià)
• 江河行地
• 江流
• 江津 (Jiāngjīn)
• 江洋大盜／江洋大盗
• 江浙 (Jiāng-Zhè)
• 江海之學／江海之学
• 江海同歸／江海同归
• 江渚 (jiāngzhǔ)
• 江淮 (Jiānghuái)
• 江淹夢筆／江淹梦笔
• 江淹夢錦／江淹梦锦
• 江淹才盡／江淹才尽
• 江湖 (jiānghú)
• 江湖好漢／江湖好汉
• 江湖義氣／江湖义气
• 江湖藝人／江湖艺人
• 江湖術士／江湖术士
• 江湖術語／江湖术语
• 江湖道義／江湖道义
• 江湖郎中
• 江湖騙子／江湖骗子 (jiānghú piànzi)
• 江源 (Jiāngyuán)
• 江漢／江汉 (Jiānghàn)
• 江漢平原／江汉平原 (Jiāng-Hàn Píngyuán)
• 江潯／江浔
• 江潯海裔／江浔海裔
• 江濱／江滨 (jiāngbīn)
• 江灣／江湾 (Jiāngwān)
• 江珧 (jiāngyáo)
• 江珧柱 (jiāngyáozhù)
• 江瑤／江瑶
• 江瑤柱／江瑶柱 (jiāngyáozhù)
• 江畔 (jiāngpàn)
• 江皋
• 江米 (jiāngmǐ)
• 江米人
• 江米酒 (jiāngmǐjiǔ)
• 江翻海沸 (jiāngfānhǎifèi)
• 江聲／江声
• 江蘇／江苏 (Jiāngsū)
• 江蘺／江蓠 (jiānglí)
• 江表 (Jiāngbiǎo)
• 江西 (Jiāngxī)
• 江西派
• 江西臘／江西腊 (jiāngxīlà)
• 江西詩派／江西诗派
• 江豚 (jiāngtún)
• 江輪／江轮
• 江郎才盡／江郎才尽 (jiānglángcáijìn)
• 江鄉／江乡
• 江都 (Jiāngdū)
• 江門／江门 (Jiāngmén)
• 江陵 (Jiānglíng)
• 江陰／江阴 (Jiāngyīn)
• 江雪
• 江雲渭樹／江云渭树
• 江靡
• 沅江 (Yuán Jiāng)
• 汨羅江／汨罗江 (Mìluó Jiāng)
• 沿江 (yánjiāng)
• 沱江
• 洛東江／洛东江 (Luòdōngjiāng)
• 浙江
• 浙江潮
• 海沸江翻
• 浪跡江湖／浪迹江湖
• 混同江
• 清江 (Qīngjiāng)
• 涪江 (Fújiāng)
• 淡江 (Dànjiāng)
• 淡江大學／淡江大学
• 清江浦 (Qīngjiāngpǔ, “Qingjiangpu”)
• 渡江 (dùjiāng)
• 湔江
• 湘江 (Xiāng Jiāng)
• 湛江 (Zhànjiāng)
• 渠江
• 渡江楫
• 湘江竹
• 滂江
• 漓江 (Líjiāng)
• 滄江／沧江
• 漢江／汉江 (Hànjiāng)
• 漳江
• 滿江紅／满江红
• 漢江路／汉江路 (Hànjiānglù)
• 澂江 (Chéngjiāng)
• 潛江／潜江 (Qiánjiāng)
• 潯江／浔江 (Xúnjiāng)
• 潞江
• 潘江陸海／潘江陆海
• 潘陸江海／潘陆江海
• 濱江／滨江
• 瀲江／潋江
• 瀾滄江／澜沧江 (Láncāng Jiāng)
• 灕江／漓江 (Líjiāng)
• 烏江／乌江 (Wūjiāng)
• 烏蘇里江／乌苏里江 (Wūsūlǐ Jiāng)
• 牡丹江 (Mǔdānjiāng)
• 珠江 (Zhū Jiāng, “Pearl River”)
• 珠江流域
• 甌江／瓯江 (Ōujiāng)
• 萬里江山
• 秋月寒江
• 移禍江東／移祸江东
• 笑傲江湖
• 粵江／粤江 (Yuèjiāng)
• 粵江流域／粤江流域
• 精奇里江 (Jīngqílǐ Jiāng)
• 練江／练江 (Liànjiāng)
• 翻江倒海
• 翻江攪海／翻江搅海
• 老江湖 (lǎojiānghu)
• 聯江／联江
• 臨江／临江 (Línjiāng)
• 臨江折軸／临江折轴
• 臨江驛／临江驿
• 芷江 (Zhǐjiāng)
• 葆江
• 蒲江
• 薩爾溫江／萨尔温江 (Sà'ěrwēn Jiāng)
• 虎渡江
• 蠻江／蛮江
• 西江 (Xījiāng)
• 贛江／赣江 (Gàn Jiāng)
• 走江湖 (zǒu jiānghu)
• 跑江湖
• 連江／连江 (Liánjiāng)
• 過江之鯽／过江之鲫
• 郴江
• 郪江
• 都江堰 (Dūjiāngyàn)
• 重現江湖／重现江湖
• 量如江海
• 金沙江 (Jīnshājiāng)
• 錢塘江／钱塘江 (Qiántáng Jiāng)
• 錦江／锦江 (Jǐnjiāng)
• 錦繡江山／锦绣江山 (jǐnxiùjiāngshān)
• 鎮江／镇江 (Zhènjiāng)
• 鐵鎖橫江／铁锁横江
• 鐵鎖沉江／铁锁沉江
• 長江／长江 (Cháng Jiāng)
• 長江三峽／长江三峡 (Chángjiāng Sānxiá)
• 長江埠／长江埠 (Chángjiāngbù)
• 長江天塹／长江天堑
• 開江／开江
• 閩江／闽江 (Mǐn Jiāng)
• 闖江湖／闯江湖
• 陸海潘江／陆海潘江
• 陽江／阳江 (Yángjiāng)
• 青弋江
• 青江白菜
• 面見江東／面见江东
• 馬江／马江
• 鬱江／郁江 (Yùjiāng)
• 鴨綠江／鸭绿江 (Yālù Jiāng)
• 麗江／丽江 (Lìjiāng)
• 黃浦江／黄浦江 (Huángpǔjiāng)
• 黑龍江／黑龙江 (Hēilóngjiāng)
• 龍江虎浪／龙江虎浪

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (江):

• → Japanese: 江(こう) (kō)
• → Korean: 강(江) (gang)
• → Vietnamese: giang (江)

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 江 – see 豇 (“cowpea”). (This character is the second-round simplified form of 豇).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

Kanji

江

(Jōyō kanji)

1. creek
2. inlet
3. bay

Readings

• Go-on: こう (kō, Jōyō)^{←こう (kou, historical)}
• Kan-on: こう (kō, Jōyō)^{←かう (kau, historical)}
• Kan’yō-on: ごう (gō)^{←がう (gau, historical)}
• Kun: え (e, 江, Jōyō)^{←え (e, 江, historical)←𛀁 (ye, 江, ancient)}
• Nanori: ええ (ee); くん (kun); こ (ko); とうみ (tōmi); のぶ (nobu); み (mi); りえ (rie)

Compounds

Compounds

• 江(こう)湖(こ) (kōko), 江(ごう)湖(こ) (gōko)
• 江(こう)村(そん) (kōson)
• 江(こう)都(と) (Kōto)
• 江(あめの)鮭(うお) (ame no uo)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
江
え Grade: S
kun'yomi

/je/ → /e/

From Old Japanese. The ye pronunciation merged with e in Early Middle Japanese. The merged sound was ye until the Edo period, which is found in Yedo, yen and Yebisu.

This term was so representative of the ye reading that it lent its shape to the hentaigana 𛀁 (ye).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) え [éꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [e̞]

Noun

江(え) • (e) 

1. inlet, bay
2. (archaic, possibly obsolete) (general term for a large body of water)
   1. sea
   2. large river
   3. lake

Usage notes

Although 江 (e) was sometimes used generically for a large body of water, it was most often used to indicate the portion of that body of water that extended inland.

Synonyms

• (inlet): 入(いり)江(え), 入(い)り江(え) (irie)
• (bay): 湾(わん) (wan)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 江戸(えど) (Edo): Edo (now Tokyo)
• 入(い)り江(え) (irie): inlet

Proper noun

江(え) • (E) 

1. a surname

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
江
こう Grade: S
kan'on

/kau/ → /kɔː/ → /koː/

From Middle Chinese 江 (MC kaewng).

The 漢音 (kan'on) reading, so likely a later borrowing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ko̞ː]

Noun

江(こう) • (kō) ^{←かう (kau)?}

1. (archaic) large river

Proper noun

江(こう) • (Kō) ^{←かう (kau)?}

1. short for 長江 (Chōkō): the Yangtze River
2. old name for 琵琶湖 (Biwa-ko): Lake Biwa
3. a surname
4. a unisex given name

Derived terms

• 江(こう)河(が) (Kōga): the Yangtze River and the Yellow River

Etymology 3

Various nanori readings.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ごー [góꜜò] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɡo̞ː]

Proper noun

江(ごう) • (Gō) 

1. a surname
2. a unisex given name

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
江
へ Grade: S (ateji)
kun'yomi

Particle

江(へ) • (e) 

1. (dated) Alternative spelling of へ (e, “to, towards”)
   • 1977, 週刊文春1977年1月13日号

     内(ない)藤(とう)国(くに)雄(お)より美(み)空(そら)ひばり賛(さん)江(へ)

     Naitō Kunio yori Misora Hibari san e

     From Kunio Naito to dear Ms. Hibari Misora

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
江
𛀁 Grade: S (ateji)
kun'yomi

Particle

1. (obsolete) Identical in meaning to the particle へ, but used only after pronunciations of え, 𛀁, and ゑ. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 江 (MC kaewng). Recorded as Middle Korean 가ᇰ (kang) (Yale: kang) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Wikisource

江 (eumhun 강 강 (gang gang))

1. hanja form^? of 강 (“river”)

Compounds

Compounds

• 강남 (江南, gangnam, “south of river, district south of the Han River”)
• 강북 (江北, gangbuk, “north of river, district north of the Han River”)
• 강산 (江山, gangsan, “river and mountain, landscape”)
• 강변 (江邊, gangbyeon, “riverside”)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

Vietnamese

Han character

江: Hán Nôm readings: giang, giăng, nhăng, gianh

1. (only in compounds) river
2. Chữ Hán form of Giang (“a surname from Chinese.”).