Japanese kanji for water: 水 — writing, readings, words
The Japanese kanji for water is 水, 4 strokes, N5 level. It is read as 'mizu' (kun'yomi みず) and 'sui' (on'yomi スイ). 'Water in Japanese' is 水 (mizu). The same character appears in 水曜日 (suiyōbi) — Wednesday, literally 'day of water', and in its abbreviated form 氵 it lives on the left in hundreds of kanji related to liquids.
水 is a drawing of a flowing stream: a central current with splashes on the sides. When the character becomes part of another kanji, it compresses into three drops on the left — 氵. See them in an unfamiliar kanji? It means something liquid: 海 sea, 泳 swim, 洗 wash.
How to write the Japanese kanji for water
水 — значение: water — онъёми: スイ — кунъёми: みず、みず- — 4 штрих(ов). N5 level, 4 strokes. Click 'Show order' — strokes will animate as if written by hand.
Three drops 氵 — it's the same character
In other kanji, 水 becomes 氵 and moves to the left: 海 (sea), 池 (pond), 汗 (sweat), 酒 (sake). This is the most useful radical for beginners: it instantly narrows the meaning of an unfamiliar character to 'something related to liquid'.
Words with the water kanji
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 水 | mizu · mizu | Water (cold, regular) |
| お水 | o-mizu · o-mizu | Water (polite, in a cafe) |
| 水曜日 | suiyōbi · suiyōbi | Wednesday (literally 'day of water') |
| 水泳 | suiei · suiei | Swimming |
| 海 | umi · umi | Sea (three drops 氵 visible on the left) |
| お湯 | o-yu · o-yu | Hot water (for hot water a different word is used — not 水) |
Why hot water is not 水
In Japanese, 水 (mizu) refers only to cold or cool water. Hot water is 湯 (yu), usually politely お湯. Asking for 'mizu' in a cafe gets you a glass of cold water with ice; asking for 'o-yu' gets you boiling water. The Russian word 'вода' covers both cases, but the Japanese one does not.
Write 水 yourself
Trace the character along the guides — the system will evaluate each stroke.
FAQ
- Which Japanese kanji means water?
- 水 — 4 strokes, N5 level. Kun'yomi みず (mizu), on'yomi スイ (sui): 水曜日 suiyōbi 'Wednesday', 水泳 suiei 'swimming'.
- How do you say 'water' in Japanese?
- 水 (mizu). In a cafe, the politer form is お水 (o-mizu). Note: this is cold water; hot water is 湯 (yu), お湯.
- What are the three drops on the left in kanji?
- They are 氵 — the compressed form of 水. It indicates that the character is related to liquid: 海 sea, 池 pond, 汗 sweat, 洗 wash, 酒 sake.
- Why is Wednesday 'day of water'?
- The days of the week in Japanese are named after the five elements and celestial bodies: 水曜日 is the day of water, 火曜日 is the day of fire (Tuesday), 木曜日 is the day of wood (Thursday).
Updated: 2026-07-25