Details
Description
Water - flowing, shapeless and impossible to hold, standing for purity, life and the strength of yielding.
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Pictograph depicting flowing water.
Symbolism
Purity, life, flexibility. Represents north and winter in Five Elements.
Spiritual Meaning
Represents cleansing and source of life, core of Shinto purification rituals. Flowing water has power to remove impurity.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Flow of water
Component Breakdown
㇇ + 亅 + 乀 + 丿
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
一衣帯水
いちいたいすい
(being separated only by a) narrow strip of water; narrow strait (channel, river)
我田引水
がでんいんすい
seeking one's own interests; straining (the interpretation or argument) to suit one's own interests; drawing water for one's own field
山紫水明
さんしすいめい
scenic beauty
明鏡止水
めいきょうしすい
clear and serene (as a polished mirror and still water)
行雲流水
こううんりゅうすい
(metaphorically) floating with the tide
水天彷彿
すいてんほうふつ
the sky and water merging into one; seamless merging of the sea and the sky
落花流水
らっかりゅうすい
mutual love; the love one shows to another person being returned
千山万水
せんざんばんすい
many mountains and rivers; a great distance to travel
雲水行脚
うんすいあんぎゃ
itinerant monk being on pilgrimages to many lands
鏡花水月
きょうかすいげつ
flowers reflected on a mirror and the moon reflected on the water's surface; something that is visible but having no substance; the subtle and profound beauty of poems that cannot be described in words
高山流水
こうざんりゅうすい
high mountains and running water; the beauty of nature; beautifully (skillfully) played music
山容水態
さんようすいたい
scenic beauty of mountains and streams; fresh and clear beauty of nature's splendor
Proverbs & Idioms
水は低きに流れる
みずはひくきにながれる
Water flows to lower places
Things follow their natural course
水清ければ魚棲まず
みずきよければうおすまず
Fish do not live in pure water
Being too strict drives people away
Poetry
ちはやぶる 神代もきかず 竜田川 からくれなゐに 水くくるとは
Not even in the age of the raging gods was such a thing heard — the Tatsuta River dyeing its water deep crimson.
古池や蛙飛びこむ水の音
An old pond — a frog jumps in, the sound of water.
Anime & Manga
Dr.STONE 龍水
Dr. STONE Special Episode – RYUSUI
A well-known work with 水 in its Japanese title.
水属性の魔法使い
The Water Magician
A well-known work with 水 in its Japanese title.
機動戦士ガンダム 水星の魔女
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
A well-known work with 水 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
後水尾天皇
Name contains 水
Emperor Go-Mizunoo , personal name Kotohito because this is the location of his tomb, while go translates as "later", and thus, he could be called…
Wikipedia幸徳秋水
Name contains 水
Kōtoku Denjirō , better known by the pen name Kōtoku Shūsui , was a Japanese socialist and anarchist who played a leading role in introducing…
Wikipedia川瀬巴水
Name contains 水
Hasui Kawase was a Japanese artist who was one of 20th century Japan's most important and prolific printmakers.
Wikipedia伊東深水
Name contains 水
Shinsui Itō was the pseudonym of a Nihonga painter and ukiyo-e woodblock print artist in Taishō- and Shōwa-period Japan.
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 水 mean in Japanese?
水 means water. Water - flowing, shapeless and impossible to hold, standing for purity, life and the strength of yielding.
How do you read 水?
On'yomi: スイ (SUI). Kun'yomi: みず、みず- (mizu, mizu).
How many strokes does 水 have?
水 has 4 strokes. Its radical is 水 (water).
Is 水 a good kanji for a tattoo?
水 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means water. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.
Explore by meaning:water