How to say "valley" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 谷たにnounThe general word for a valley, covering ravines, gorges and canyons as well. Use it whenever you simply mean a valley in the landscape, whether or not a river runs through it.
- 渓谷けいこくnounA valley with a river running through it; it also serves for gorges, ravines and canyons. Choose it when the river flowing along the valley floor is what defines the landscape.
- 谷間たにまnounA valley seen as the low ground lying between mountains or hills; it also covers ravines, gorges and chasms. Fits scenery or a village pictured in the dip between surrounding heights.
- 沢さわnounChiefly a mountain stream, with 'valley' and 'dale' as secondary senses. For valleys it suggests a small mountain valley with a stream, so it is seldom the neutral word for an ordinary valley.
- 流域りゅういきnounThis is not a valley as a landform: it means a drainage basin or watershed, the area of land drained by a river. It corresponds to 'valley' only in that regional, river-basin sense.
Use 谷 for a valley in general, 渓谷 for one with a river running through it, 谷間 for the low ground between mountains, 沢 for small mountain valleys with streams, and 流域 only for river basins, not landform valleys.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
