How to say "creek" in Japanese

• 小川おがわCommon
  nounCovers 'creek' as a small, shallow stream of fresh water, close to 'brook'. Picture a narrow creek winding through woods or fields, the kind you step across on a country walk.
  小川おがわがさらさらと流ながれる音おとが聞きこえる。↗

  We can hear a brook murmuring.
• 潟かたCommon
  nounMatches 'creek' only in the inlet sense: a sheltered body of seawater along the coast, essentially a lagoon. It is not the word for a small freshwater stream, so it will seldom fit that sense.

Use 小川 for a creek meaning a small, flowing stream of fresh water; 潟 corresponds to 'creek' only in the inlet sense, a sheltered body of seawater along the coast, not a small stream.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 小川おがわstream
• クリークcreek
• 入り江いりえinlet
• 入り海いりうみbay
• 潟かたinlet