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Yellow River

Yellow River

1 3.4
The second-longest river in northern China that flows east to the Yellow Sea and has yellow mud
  • proper noun
translation icon : Río Amarillo
  • The Yellow River is the second-longest river in China, known for its distinctive yellow silt.
  • tributaries of the Yellow River
  • Yellow River in China
  • cross the Yellow River

Examples

  • Have you ever gone down the Yellow River?

  • What is the Yellow River?

  • The victims of the Yellow River floods in China sometimes amount to hundreds of thousands.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • These awe-inspiring rock pillars can be found along the banks of the Yellow River in northwest China.

    Blog text (6)
  • In the next few years the Mongol hordes of Genghis Khan... seized all of China north of the Yellow River.

  • Getting there: Yellow River Stone Forest Geological Park is located in Jingtai Town, about 100 kilometers northeast of Lanzhou, the provincial capital of Gansu.

    Blog text (6)
  • Many ancient civilizations developed along the banks of the Yellow River, making it a vital water source.

  • The Yellow River flows through northern China before emptying into the Yellow Sea.

Synonyms

Huang He
vsYellow River
5.9

A major river in northern China that flows east to the Yellow Sea and carries yellow silt

is the common descriptive name emphasizing length, course, and yellow silt
Hwang Ho
vsYellow River
7.7

A large river in northern China that carries yellow mud and often floods

is the neutral geographic description focusing on length and yellow silt
China's Sorrow
vsYellow River
  • Archaic
7.9

A name for the Yellow River in China because its frequent floods cause great damage

is the neutral official name highlighting course, length, and yellow silt

Surface Forms

Morphology

yellow + river

The name is compositionally built from 'yellow' + 'river' and directly conveys a river characterized by yellowish silt, so a learner who knows both words can infer its basic meaning. This color + geographic noun pattern is cross-linguistically common, making the expression immediately comprehensible even if the learner does not know it refers to a specific Chinese river.

Etymology

Yellow River gets its name from the thick yellow 'silt' the river carries, a fine mud that makes the water look yellow. That's why people call it the Yellow River.