水
JLPT N5
Water
Readings
On’yomi: スイ (sui)
Kun’yomi: みず (mizu)
みず (mizu) – water
Detailed Explanation
Vocabulary
水
みず
water
水道
すいどう
water supply
水曜日
すいようび
Wednesday
海水
かいすい
seawater
水着
みずぎ
swimsuit
Example Sentences
水を飲みます。
みずを のみます。
I drink water.
水道水を使います。
すいどうすいを つかいます。
I use tap water.
水曜日に休みます。
すいようびに やすみます。
I rest on Wednesday.
海水はしょっぱいです。
かいすいは しょっぱいです。
Seawater is salty.
水着を買います。
みずぎを かいます。
I buy a swimsuit.
Cultural Note
水 (water) is deeply tied to Japanese culture and life:
1. Shinto and purification:
o Water is used in Shinto rituals for purification (手水, ちょうず / temizu), symbolizing cleansing of body and spirit.
2. Rice cultivation:
o Japan’s agricultural society depended on water for rice paddies (水田, すいでん), making 水 vital for survival and prosperity.
3. Daily life:
o Words like 水道 (tap water), 水泳 (swimming), and 水分 (hydration) reflect its importance in everyday activities.
4. Symbolism in arts:
o Water symbolizes flexibility, purity, and life in Japanese literature, haiku, and painting.
5. Idioms / expressions:
o 水に流す (みずにながす) → “Let bygones be bygones” (literally, “let it flow into the water”)
o 水を得た魚 (みず を えた さかな) → “A fish that got water” → used to describe someone thriving in their natural environment
1. Shinto and purification:
o Water is used in Shinto rituals for purification (手水, ちょうず / temizu), symbolizing cleansing of body and spirit.
2. Rice cultivation:
o Japan’s agricultural society depended on water for rice paddies (水田, すいでん), making 水 vital for survival and prosperity.
3. Daily life:
o Words like 水道 (tap water), 水泳 (swimming), and 水分 (hydration) reflect its importance in everyday activities.
4. Symbolism in arts:
o Water symbolizes flexibility, purity, and life in Japanese literature, haiku, and painting.
5. Idioms / expressions:
o 水に流す (みずにながす) → “Let bygones be bygones” (literally, “let it flow into the water”)
o 水を得た魚 (みず を えた さかな) → “A fish that got water” → used to describe someone thriving in their natural environment