字 Kanji Decipher

Meaning & readings

current, a sink, flow, forfeit

On’yomi リュウ、ル
Kun’yomi なが.れる、なが.れ、なが.す、-なが.す
Nanori な、ながれ、めぐる

Origin

This character combines water on the left with a component on the right that suggests movement or continuity. The water radical indicates this is about liquid, while the right side conveys the sense of things moving along or being carried forward. Together they create the image of water flowing—moving continuously in one direction, carrying things with it. This visual metaphor of flowing water naturally extends to related meanings like "current" and "forfeit" (where something flows away or is lost).

流 10 strokes

Components

  • 氵 radical left
  • 㐬 meaning part right

Common words

  • 一流 いちりゅう first-class; first-rate
  • 下流 かりゅう downstream; lower reaches of a river
  • 海流 かいりゅう ocean current
  • 還流 かんりゅう return current; reflux
  • 渓流 けいりゅう mountain stream; mountain torrent
  • 激流 げきりゅう raging stream; rapids
  • 源流 げんりゅう source (e.g. of a river); headwaters
  • 交流 こうりゅう exchange (e.g. cultural); interchange

Related kanji

Same radical
Shares components

Reference

Strokes
10
Kangxi radical
85
Formation type
Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
Grade
Grade 3 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#280 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 2
Unicode
U+06D41