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Kotomora

湖

lake

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · grade 3FrequencyTop 2,000Strokes12

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

Explore all words using 湖 →

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.