river

river — 名詞

1. a long, wide body of fresh water that travels across land and empties into a lar

1.名詞A1
釋義

河流

陸地上自然形成的大規模水流

a long, wide body of fresh water that travels across land and empties into a larger body of water such as a lake, a sea, or another river

例句

The Mekong River flows through six countries before reaching the South China Sea.

湄公河流經六個國家，最後進入南海。

flows through [number] countries — describes route

Every spring, the river near Kenji's village floods the low-lying rice fields.

每年春天，Kenji 村子附近的河流都會淹沒低窪的稻田。

floods [land] — natural event collocation

同義詞
  • stream

    smaller than a river; can be narrow enough to jump across

  • waterway

    broader term that includes canals and channels, not just natural flows

  • tributary

    a river or stream that flows into a larger river, not a standalone river system

文法句型

the + river + verb

a + river

the + [River Name]

用法筆記

Countable noun. Use the definite article 'the' when referring to a specific river ('the river', 'the Amazon'), and 'a' when speaking generally ('a river'). The word 'river' itself describes fresh water only — saltwater channels are called straits or channels.

常見錯誤

❌I saw a river in the ocean.
✅I saw a river flowing through the valley.
💡Rivers are bodies of fresh water on land, not in the ocean.
❌The Amazon is a river very long.
✅The Amazon is a very long river.
💡Adjectives in English go before the noun they describe.

2. included in the proper name of a watercourse, appearing either ahead of or follo

2.名詞A2
釋義

河川名

用於河流專有名稱的一部分

included in the proper name of a watercourse, appearing either ahead of or following the place-name of the river

例句

The Amazon River is the second-longest river in the world after the Nile.

亞馬遜河是世界第二長河，僅次於尼羅河。

the [Name] River — American naming order

Tomás grew up in a small town on the Yangtze River in central China.

Tomás 在中國中部長江畔的一個小鎮長大。

on the [Name] River — location with river name

文法句型

the + [Name] + River

River + [Name]

用法筆記

Always capitalized when part of a proper name. Word order varies by region: British English prefers 'River Thames' (River before the name), while American English prefers 'the Amazon River' (River after the name). Both patterns require the definite article 'the'.

常見錯誤

❌I crossed Amazon River last year.
✅I crossed the Amazon River last year.
💡The definite article 'the' must be used before river names.
❌He lives near the river thames.
✅He lives near the River Thames.
💡'River' in a name is always capitalized.

3. moving against the water's current, heading back toward the source where the riv

3.名詞B1
釋義

上游

朝河流源頭的方向移動

moving against the water's current, heading back toward the source where the river starts

例句

Ife rowed the boat upstream for nearly an hour to reach the best fishing spot.

Ife 划船往上游將近一個小時，才到達最佳的釣魚點。

rowed upstream — verb + direction collocation

Every autumn, salmon swim up the river to lay their eggs in the gravel beds.

每年秋天，鮭魚游往上游，在礫石床上產卵。

swim up the river — animal migration pattern

同義詞
  • upstream

    the compact single-word form of 'up the river'; used adverbially

  • against the current

    emphasises the physical effort of moving against water flow

反義詞
  • downstream

    the opposite direction, moving with the water flow

文法句型

up the river

upstream

go up the river

row up the river

用法筆記

Often paired with movement verbs such as row, swim, walk, paddle, or sail. 'Up the river' and 'upstream' are interchangeable in most contexts, though 'upstream' can also function as an adverb without a following noun.

常見錯誤

❌We went to upstream the river.
✅We went up the river.' or 'We went upstream.
💡'Upstream' is already an adverb; does not need a preposition before it.

4. moving with the water's current, heading away from the source toward the river's

4.名詞B1
釋義

下游

順著河流流向的方向移動

moving with the water's current, heading away from the source toward the river's end

例句

The logs floated downstream to the sawmill at the mouth of the river.

那些原木順流而下，漂到河口的鋸木廠。

floated downstream — passive movement collocation

Cyrus paddled his canoe downstream and reached the lake just before sunset.

Cyrus 划著獨木舟順流而下，在日落前抵達了湖泊。

paddled downstream — active movement collocation

同義詞
  • downstream

    the compact single-word adverbial form of 'down the river'

  • with the current

    emphasises the assistance of the water flow rather than the direction

反義詞
  • upstream

    the opposite direction, moving against the water flow

文法句型

down the river

downstream

go down the river

float down the river

用法筆記

Commonly paired with movement verbs that imply ease or lack of effort, such as drift, float, paddle, or carry, because the water current helps the movement. 'Further downstream' is a frequent comparative phrase used in geography and environmental contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The boat went down to the river.
✅The boat went down the river.
💡'Down the river' means following the current; 'down to the river' means going toward the riverbank.

5. a large, continuous amount of something moving or appearing in a steady stream —

5.名詞B1
釋義

大量；洪流

液體或抽象事物的巨大連續流動

a large, continuous amount of something moving or appearing in a steady stream — used for liquids, emotions, words, or people to suggest unstoppable flow

例句

A river of hot lava from the volcano crept slowly toward the coastal village.

從火山流出的滾燙熔岩洪流，緩緩朝沿海村莊移動。

a river of lava — natural disaster metaphor

A mother cried a river when she saw her daughter in a white dress.

母親看到女兒穿著白色洋裝時，淚如雨下。

a river of tears — emotional metaphor

同義詞
  • flood

    stronger and more sudden than 'river'; suggests overwhelming quantity

  • stream

    narrower and more controlled than 'river'; suitable for people or data

  • torrent

    very fast, forceful flow; used for water, words, or emotions

反義詞
  • trickle

    a very small, slow flow — the opposite of a large, unstoppable river

文法句型

a river of + noun

rivers of + noun

用法筆記

Used in the structure 'a river of + noun' to describe something that flows continuously and in large quantity. Common in creative writing and journalism. The plural form 'rivers of' also appears ('rivers of blood', 'rivers of sweat').

常見錯誤

❌There was a river of cars on the highway.
✅There was a steady stream of cars on the highway.
💡'River' in figurative use implies a wider, more continuous flow than the word 'stream'.
❌I have a river of work to do.
✅I have a mountain of work to do.' or 'a flood of work.
💡'River' is less common for abstract tasks; 'mountain' or 'flood' are more natural collocations.