The Potomac is a river in the eastern United States. It runs past Washington, D.C., and in that stretch it is the line between Maryland (and the capital) on one side and Virginia on the other; farther west it also touches West Virginia.

The Potomac Potomac is是 a river in the eastern United States美國東部的一條河。It它 runs past流經 Washington, D.C.華盛頓特區, and而 in that stretch在那一段, it它 is是 the line between Maryland (and the capital) on one side一邊是馬里蘭州（和首都）和 and Virginia on the other另一邊是維吉尼亞州之間的界線; farther west再往西, it它 also touches也碰到 West Virginia西維吉尼亞州。

Americans say it in news, history, and weather — floods, cherry trees, politics — because the capital sits on its banks. You stress the middle: puh-TOH-muk. It is a place name, so it takes a capital P; people say the Potomac, like the Thames.

Americans美國人 say it會提到它 in news, history, and weather在新聞、歷史和天氣報導裡 — floods水災, cherry trees櫻花樹, politics政治 — because因為 the capital首都 sits on its banks就座落在它的河岸邊。You stress the middle重音放在中間: puh-TOH-muk puh-TOH-muk。It它 is是 a place name一個地名, so所以 it它 takes a capital P字首要大寫; people大家 say會說 the Potomac the Potomac, like the Thames就像泰晤士河一樣。

Though actually the tidy map-line (“this state from that state”) is simpler than the whole river: it is long, it has falls, and the name itself was written many ways before it settled. Scholars do not agree on one English meaning of the old Algonquian name; you will hear “river of swans,” “place where people trade,” or “place to which tribute is brought.” Native people called the river above the falls Cohongorooton, “river of geese,” and early visitors found both geese and swans there.

Though actually不過, the tidy map-line地圖上那條整齊的界線 (“this state from that state”)（「這一州跟那一州的分界」）is simpler than比整條河本身要簡單 the whole river: it它 is long很長, it它 has falls有瀑布, and而且 the name itself這個名字本身 was written many ways before it settled在定型之前被寫過很多種拼法。Scholars學者們 do not agree on沒有共識 one English meaning這個古阿岡昆語名字的英文意思 of the old Algonquian name; you你 will hear會聽到 “river of swans,”「天鵝之河」, “place where people trade,”「交易的地方」, or or “place to which tribute is brought.”「進貢之地」。Native people原住民 called the river above the falls把瀑布上游那段河 Cohongorooton叫做Cohongorooton, “river of geese,”「大雁之河」, and而 early visitors早期的訪客 found both geese and swans there在那裡同時發現大雁和天鵝。

European spellings moved from Patawomeke to Patowmack in the 1700s and later to Potomac. The US Board on Geographic Names made Potomac the official spelling in 1931.

European spellings歐洲人的拼法 moved from從Patawomeke Patawomeke to變成 Patowmack Patowmack in the 1700s在18世紀 and而 later後來 to又變成 Potomac Potomac。The US Board on Geographic Names美國地名委員會 made Potomac把Potomac定為 the official spelling正式拼法 in 1931在1931年。