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汊 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
汊chàa branching streamn, 6 strokes, radical 氵
汊chàbranching streamunknown, 6 strokes, radical 氵
chà(cha4) T4
  1. 1a branching stream
  2. 2branching stream
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March 24, 2026

汊chà(cha4)

The character 汊 (chà) refers to a branching stream or a fork in a river, where water diverges into different paths. This term is often used in geographical contexts to describe the layout of rivers and water bodies, illustrating the natural movement of water in multiple directions.

Strokes6Radical氵
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese poetry and literature, rivers and streams often symbolize the flow of life and the passage of time, making the concept of branching streams significant in expressing emotional depth.

Memory Tip

Imagine a tree (木) where the trunk represents a main river and the branches split off into smaller streams. The sound 'chà' can be remembered as 'chaotic' water splitting, reflecting the way a stream bifurcates into different paths.

Meanings of 汊

chà(cha4)
1a branching stream
2branching stream
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 汊

汊Simplified
6Strokes
氵Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 汊

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Podcast: 汊

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AI Study Notes for 汊

Quick Contrast

分流 (fēnliú) - use 汊 (chà) specifically for a fork in a river, while 分流 (fēnliú) generally refers to any kind of diversion of water.

Usage Notes

This word is rarely used in everyday conversation, making it more common in literary or geographical contexts. Learners should be careful not to confuse it with related terms like 河 (hé, river) or 溪 (xī, creek), which refer to larger or smaller bodies of water, respectively.

HSK Study Tips

Though not part of the official HSK vocabulary, understanding 汊 can help learners grasp more specific terms related to water and nature, enhancing their descriptive language. Students should focus on the radicals and components in the character to better remember its meaning.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 汊 with similar-sounding words like 差 (chà), which means 'to differ' or 'wrong'. For example, saying '我去汊' (I go to branching stream) instead of the correct usage in context may lead to confusion.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 汊

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Etymology of 汊

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

A stream 氵 that forks 叉; 叉 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 汊

  1. 1The giveawayA stream 氵 that forks 叉; 叉 also provides the pronunciation
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 汊? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 汊?

Decomposition of 汊

IDS Structure⿰氵叉
汊Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
叉cha1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 汊?

How to say a branching stream in Chinese

“a branching stream” in Chinese is汊chà

The character 汊 (chà) refers to a branching stream or a fork in a river, where water diverges into different paths. This term is often used in geographical contexts to describe the layout of rivers and water bodies, illustrating the natural movement of water in multiple directions.

When to use 汊

This word is rarely used in everyday conversation, making it more common in literary or geographical contexts. Learners should be careful not to confuse it with related terms like 河 (hé, river) or 溪 (xī, creek), which refer to larger or smaller bodies of water, respectively.

汊 or something close to it

分流 (fēnliú) - use 汊 (chà) specifically for a fork in a river, while 分流 (fēnliú) generally refers to any kind of diversion of water.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 汊 with similar-sounding words like 差 (chà), which means 'to differ' or 'wrong'. For example, saying '我去汊' (I go to branching stream) instead of the correct usage in context may lead to confusion.

Write 汊

汊

Practice writing 汊 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 汊

Words Containing This Character1
汊chàbranching stream
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 汊 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 汊

It is pronounced as 'chà' with a falling tone.

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