運うん河が

う

ん

が

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

canal; waterway

Refers to man-made navigable waterways for transportation or irrigation. Common in geographic and engineering contexts.

パナマ運うん河がは太たい平へい洋ようと大たい西せい洋

よう

を

結むす

ん

で

いる

。

The Panama Canal connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

この運うん河がは江え戸ど時じ代だいに造つくられた。

This canal was built in the Edo period.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉に運うん河がを掘ほるto dig a canal at 〈place〉
この町まちには百ひゃく年ねん前まえに運うん河がが掘ほられた。
A canal was dug in this town a hundred years ago.
運うん河が沿ぞいに歩あるくto walk along the canal
運うん河が沿ぞいに歩あるくと古ふるい倉そう庫こが並ならんでいる。
Walking along the canal, you see old warehouses lined up.
運うん河がを渡わたるto cross the canal
船ふねで運うん河がを渡わたって対たい岸がんに着ついた。
We crossed the canal by boat and arrived at the opposite bank.

Kanji

運carry, luck, destiny
河river

Related words

水すい路ろ
水路 is the broad term for any water channel, natural or artificial, while 運河 specifically denotes a man-made navigable canal.
堀ほり川かわ
運河 is the general, often large-scale term for a shipping canal, while 堀川 typically names a specific, often historic or narrower urban waterway.
堀ほり江え
運河 is the general word for a canal, typically larger and used for shipping, while 堀江 refers to a smaller, often historical waterway and appears mainly in place names.
堀ほりN3
運河 denotes a large-scale canal built for transportation or navigation, while 堀 can be a smaller ditch, drainage channel, or defensive moat.

Don't confuse with

河か川せんN2
河川 refers to natural rivers and streams, whereas 運河 is a man-made waterway built for transport or irrigation.
海かい峡きょうN1
海峡 is a naturally occurring strait, whereas 運河 is an artificial canal dug by people.

Word family

国こく際さい運うん河が
international canal

Etymology

Compound of 運 (transport) and 河 (river), literally 'transport river'. The term was coined in the Meiji era to translate Western concepts of artificial waterways.