渓
mountain stream, valley
Readings
On'yomi
- ケイ
Kun'yomi
- たに
- たにがわ
Meaning
渓 centers on a narrow, water-carved landscape feature: a mountain stream flowing through a valley. The two meanings are closely linked, with the stream being the water and the valley being the land it shapes.
Most common words using 渓
- 渓谷けいこく
valley (with a river running through it); gorge; ravine; canyon
- 渓流けいりゅう
mountain stream; mountain torrent
- 雪渓せっけい
snowy valley
- 厳美渓げんびけい
Genbi Gorge (Ichinoseki-shi, Iwate-ken)
- 渓壑けいがく
ravine; chasm
- 渓声けいせい
sound of a valley stream
- 渓水けいすい
mountain stream; the water of a mountain stream
- 渓泉けいせん
a spring that gushes forth from a valley
- 渓流釣りけいりゅうづり
mountain stream fishing
- 渓澗けいかん
mountain stream; valley
- 渓間けいかん
ravine
- 猊鼻渓げいびけい
Geibi Gorge (Ichinoseki, Iwate)
Study
Etymology
渓 is the modern simplified form of 谿. The older form combines 谷 (valley) with 奚, which likely contributed the sound. The modern form replaces 谷 with 氵 (water) and simplifies the right side to 爫 over 夫, emphasizing the water aspect of a mountain stream.
Meaning mnemonic
Water 氵 flows down from the claw-like top 爫 through a husband 夫, carving a mountain stream and valley.
Reading mnemonic
For ケイ, imagine a kayak (ケイ) gliding down the mountain stream: the kayak's shape and sound cue ケイ while it navigates the valley.