하천
hacheonA natural watercourse, such as a river or stream, that flows on the surface of the land.
하천의 수질 오염이 심각한 문제가 되고 있습니다.
Water pollution in streams is becoming a serious problem.
The term '하천' is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to refer to natural water bodies.
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Related Phrases
💡Pro Tip
Context Matters
While '하천' can refer to both rivers and streams, in formal contexts, it is often used to describe larger water bodies.
⚡Gold Rule
Formal vs. Informal
In informal speech, Koreans might use more specific terms like '강' (river) or '개울' (stream) instead of '하천'.
📖Word Origin
Derived from the Sino-Korean characters '河川' (ha-cheon), where '河' (ha) means 'river' and '川' (cheon) means 'stream'.
📝Usage Notes
In Korean, '하천' is a general term that can refer to both rivers and streams, depending on the context. It is often used in environmental and engineering contexts.