Waterways connected parts of Edo and helped move goods. Explore that setting through modern polite Japanese.
The idea
堀 is a canal or moat; 川 is a river, 船 a boat, and 荷物 cargo or baggage. 船で expresses the means of transport, while 川を下る means to travel downstream along a river.
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 堀 | canal or moat |
| 川 | river |
| 船 | boat |
| 荷物 | cargo or baggage |
Examples
- 江戸では、堀が物を運ぶために使われました。In Edo, canals were used to transport goods.
- 船が堀を通って荷物を運びます。A boat carries cargo along the canal.
- 船は川を下って町へ行きました。The boat went down the river to the town.
- 働く人たちは船から荷物を下ろしました。Workers unloaded the cargo from the boat.
- 堀の近くに倉庫がありました。There was a warehouse near the canal.
- 人々は船で川を渡りました。People crossed the river by boat.
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Watch out
川を渡る means to cross a river, not to travel along it. 堀 can also mean a defensive moat, so its meaning depends on context.
Try it yourself
Choose the word for a canal: （堀／船）
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堀
堀 means a canal or moat; 船 means a boat.
Choose the word for cargo: （荷物／橋）
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荷物
荷物 means cargo or baggage; 橋 means a bridge.
Choose the verb for going downstream: （下る／渡る）
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下る
下る means to go downstream; 渡る means to cross.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Choose the word for a canal: （堀／船）
Choose the word for cargo: （荷物／橋）
Choose the verb for going downstream: （下る／渡る）
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Describe an imagined cargo journey from a canal to a river in Japanese.