To Flush Something
To Pour Something, To Set Something Afloat
transitive verb, godan verb
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means stream. If you're streaming water, it might be to flush something. Alternatively, to pour something makes a stream of liquid, and to set something afloat is to make something flow in the stream.
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn that reading with this kanji, so here's a mnemonic to help you:
What do you do with someone who is a nagger (one who nags)? You have to flush them down the toilet. Imagine someone nagging you to do your chores so you flush them down the toilet, somehow.
水で流す
to wash away with water
シャワーで流す
to shower off
テレビで流す
to broadcast on TV
川に流す
to set floating down a river
水に流す
to forgive and forget
海に流す
to discharge into the ocean
血を流す
to shed blood
音楽を流す
to play music
水を流す
to pour water, to flush a toilet
トイレの水、流すのわすれたでしょう？
You forgot to flush the toilet, didn't you?
どうしてあの人たちがぬま地にあぶらを流してるか知っている？
Do you know why they are pouring oil over the swamp?
トーフグの風習に、河豚の形に切りとった紙を、コウイチの誕生日に川に流すというものがあります。
A Tofugu custom involves cutting paper into the shape of fugu and setting them afloat down a stream on Koichi’s birthday.