湖
lake
Readings
On'yomi
- コ
Kun'yomi
- みずうみ
Nanori
- うみ
- み
Meaning
湖 centers on a large body of fresh water surrounded by land: a lake.
Most common words using 湖
20 of 67- 湖みずうみN4
lake
- 琵琶湖びわこ
Lake Biwa; Biwako
- 湖畔こはん
lakeside; lakeshore; lakefront
- 湖水こすい
lake; lake water
- 湖面こめん
lake surface
- 湖沼こしょう
lake; marsh; wetland; inland waters
- 湖北こほく
north of a lake; north of Lake Biwa
- 湖上こじょう
on the lake
- 湖底こてい
bottom of a lake
- 地下湖ちかこ
underground lake; subterranean lake
- 湖岸こがん
lakeshore; lakeside
- 人造湖じんぞうこ
artificial lake; man-made lake; reservoir
- カルデラ湖カルデラこ
caldera lake
- ダム湖ダムこ
reservoir; lake formed by a dam
- 三日月湖みかづきこ
oxbow lake; billabong
- 人工湖じんこうこ
artificial lake; man-made lake; reservoir
- 内陸湖ないりくこ
endorheic basin
- 地底湖ちていこ
underground lake; subterranean lake
- 堰止湖せきとめこ
dammed lake (formed by natural damming of a river, esp. by landslide, volcanic eruption, etc.)
- 塩水湖えんすいこ
saltwater or saline lake
Study
Etymology
湖 combines 氵 (water) with 胡, which likely provides the sound コ. The character originally referred to a large body of water, and the modern form retains that meaning.
Meaning mnemonic
Water 氵 on the left and 胡 on the right: picture a calm lake reflecting the moon 月, with the sound of water lapping at an ancient mouth 口 of a river, all under a cross-shaped 十 constellation.
Reading mnemonic
For コ, imagine a small child (子, こ) playing by the lake, skipping stones across the water: 子 -> コ, and the lake is the perfect place for a child's adventure.