<p>I would add to Jason's answer that 畔 is more used in literature and is very rarely used in daily spoken language (unless maybe to invoke sort of a poetic feeling). Otherwise literally both mean the same thing to me. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-16T17:32:41.827Z
2017-11-16T17:32:41.827Z
Constructor
<p>河岸 = river bank.</p>

<p>畔 means "beside something / near something", not just rivers, e.g. 耳畔、桥畔.</p>

<p>You can take 河畔 as a literary version of 河边.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-16T05:51:14.583Z
岸= shores, 海岸 = sea shores
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-16T08:37:50.897Z
Agree on "河畔 as a literary version of 河边". 河畔 is rarely used in spoken. There isn't much difference in meaning between 河岸 and 河畔.
dan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-17T04:43:40.937Z
畔 is commonly used in written language like in literature or lyrics, really rarely used in spoken. Just like that in written language we use 11月17日, but 11月17号 in spoken.
xenophōn
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-16T05:28:50.273Z
2017-11-16T05:28:50.273Z
Jason Swift
<p>What's the difference between 河岸 vs 河畔?  Don't they both mean river bank?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-16T07:26:59.237Z
bkrs： **岸** bank（水边的陆地） bank; shore; coast:
海岸 coast; seashore
江岸 the bank of a river; a river bank
上岸 go ashore
海浪拍岸。 The sea washes the shore.
形
(书) （态度严峻或高傲） lofty:
傲岸 haughty 1) 水边高起之地。
2) 高傲，严正。
3) 谓将冠帽上推，露出前额。
4) 通“犴”。古代乡亭的拘留所。详“岸狱”。
5) 见“魁岸”。
shore
beach
coast
**畔**  edge
side
boundary
bank (of a river etc)
shore
 名
（江、湖、道路等旁边; 附近） side; bank:
河畔 river bank; riverside
湖畔 the shore of a lake
（田地的边界） boundary; border:
田畔 the border of a field1) 田界。
2) 界限；疆界。
3) 旁边；边侧。
4) 指边隅，角落。
5) 回避；躲避。
6) 混乱貌。
7) 通“叛”。违背；背离。
8) 通“叛”。背叛；叛变。
9) 见“畔援”。 
10) 见“畔喭”。1
user6065
<meaning>
Difference between 岸 vs 畔?
# Difference between 岸 vs 畔?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-16)

What's the difference between 河岸 vs 河畔? Don't they both mean river bank?

**Tags:** meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: bkrs： **岸** bank（水边的陆地） bank; shore; coast: 海岸 coast; seashore 江岸 the bank of a river; a river bank 上岸 go ashore 海浪拍岸。 The sea washes the shore. 形 (书) （态度严峻或高傲） lofty: 傲岸 haughty 1) 水边高起之地。 2) 高傲，严正。 3) 谓将冠帽上推，露出前额。 4) 通“犴”。古代乡亭的拘留所。详“岸狱”。 5) 见“魁岸”。 shore beach coast **畔**  edge side boundary bank (of a river etc) shore  名 （江、湖、道路等旁边; 附近） side; bank: 河畔 river bank; riverside 湖畔 the shore of a lake （田地的边界） boundary; border: 田畔 the border of a field1) 田界。 2) 界限；疆界。 3) 旁边；边侧。 4) 指边隅，角落。 5) 回避；躲避。 6) 混乱貌。 7) 通“叛”。违背；背离。 8) 通“叛”。背叛；叛变。 9) 见“畔援”。  10) 见“畔喭”。1  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-11-16. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

河岸 = river bank.

畔 means "beside something / near something", not just rivers, e.g. 耳畔、桥畔.

You can take 河畔 as a literary version of 河边.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: 岸= shores, 海岸 = sea shores  
> **username_5**: Agree on "河畔 as a literary version of 河边". 河畔 is rarely used in spoken. There isn't much difference in meaning between 河岸 and 河畔.  
> **username_6**: 畔 is commonly used in written language like in literature or lyrics, really rarely used in spoken. Just like that in written language we use 11月17日, but 11月17号 in spoken.  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-11-16. Score: 2

I would add to username_3's answer that 畔 is more used in literature and is very rarely used in daily spoken language (unless maybe to invoke sort of a poetic feeling). Otherwise literally both mean the same thing to me.


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