清

音読おんよみ: セイ・ショウ

訓読くんよみ: きよい・きよめる

画数かくすう: 11 strokes

部首ぶしゅ: 氵（さんずい）

Meaning

Clean, Pure, Purify — Often used for clarity, cleanliness, spiritual or ceremonial purification.

  • 清きよい — pure / clean
  • 清水しみず — clear water / spring water
  • 清掃せいそう — cleaning / cleanup
  • 清算せいさん — settlement / liquidation
  • 清書せいしょ — clean copy (of writing)
  • 清潔せいけつ — cleanliness / hygiene

This is a 形声文字 (semantic-phonetic compound). The left part 氵 (さんずい) represents "water" and the right part 青 (phonetic element セイ) contributes the sound. The combination expresses a sense of clear, clean, and fresh — often linked to water or pure spirit.

山やまの清水しみずは 冷つめたくておいしい。
The spring water from the mountain is cold and delicious.

部屋へやを 清掃せいそうしてください。
Please clean the room.

こころを清きよめて、神社じんじゃに 参拝さんぱいする。
Purify your heart before visiting the shrine.

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