강
한강은 서울을 가로질러 흐른다.
The Han River flows through Seoul.
A large natural stream of water flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another river.
한국에는 많은 강이 있다.
There are many rivers in Korea.
이 강은 여름에 수영하기 좋다.
This river is good for swimming in summer.
강(江) is the most common character for 'river'. Other characters like 강(降) or 강(剛) have different meanings (e.g., '降' means 'fall' or 'descend', '剛' means 'strong').
A large quantity or flow of something.
그는 열정의 강을 타고 있다.
He is riding the river of passion.
Metaphorical usage in literature or poetry.
Pro Tip
Distinguishing Characters
강(江) means 'river', while 강(降) means 'to fall' or 'to descend', and 강(剛) means 'strong'. Pay attention to the context to avoid confusion.
Gold Rule
River vs. Stream
In Korean, '강' refers to a large river, while smaller streams are often called '시내' or '개울'.
Word Origin
From Middle Korean 강(江), from Old Korean, ultimately from Proto-Koreanic *kang. Compare with Middle Korean 강(降) 'to descend' and 강(剛) 'strong'.
Usage Notes
강(江) is the standard character for 'river'. In place names or surnames, other characters may be used (e.g., 강(姜) in the surname Kang, 강(康) in names like 강민수).