Explore 湖 through a walk around a lake and scenes at its shore. Learn each reading with a whole word.
The idea
湖 has 12 strokes; follow the linked stroke-order diagram. Alone it is 湖（みずうみ）, while 湖畔（こはん） and 湖水（こすい） use こ in compounds.
| Japanese word | Reading |
|---|---|
| 湖 | みずうみ |
| 湖畔 | こはん |
| 湖水 | こすい |
Examples
- 湖の周りを歩きました。I walked around the lake.
- 湖に山が映っています。The mountains are reflected in the lake.
- 湖畔で鳥の声を聞きました。I heard birds singing by the lakeside.
- 湖水は冬に冷たくなります。The lake water gets cold in winter.
- 湖の近くに小さな町があります。There is a small town near the lake.
- 夕方、湖畔から夕日を見ました。In the evening, I watched the sunset from the lakeside.
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No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
Do not read every 湖 as みずうみ: in 湖畔 and 湖水 it is こ. 湖 is a lake; 川 is a river.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 湖 in hiragana.
Show answer or example answer
みずうみ
湖 is みずうみ, the word for a lake. The first example describes walking around one.
Write the reading of 湖畔 in hiragana.
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こはん
湖畔 is こはん, meaning lakeside; 畔 refers to an edge or bank.
Choose the missing kanji: 湖＿（こすい）［水／川］.
Show answer or example answer
水
水 completes 湖水（こすい）, meaning lake water. 川 would mean river and does not form this word.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 湖 in hiragana.
Write the reading of 湖畔 in hiragana.
Choose the missing kanji: 湖＿（こすい）［水／川］.
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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Write 湖 using the stroke-order diagram. Cover the table, read the three words and make a sentence about a lake.