dry river; wadi; arroyo
Refers to a riverbed that is normally dry except after heavy rain; often used for seasonal streams in arid regions.
この水無川は、大雨のときだけ水が流れる。
This dry river only flows when there is heavy rain.
砂漠の水無川をワジと呼ぶ。
A dry river in the desert is called a wadi.
A dried-up river that once had water; 水無川 emphasizes a normally dry state, while 涸れ川 implies a former flow.
Standard kanji spelling for a dry riverbed or seasonal stream.
Variant spelling with okurigana; less common but still encountered.
Compound of 水 (mizu, 'water') + 無し (nashi, 'without') + 川 (kawa, 'river'), literally 'waterless river'. The reading みずなしがわ is standard; みなしがわ is a contracted form.