清 qīng
adjective | verb
: clear; distinct; quiet
: just and honest; pure
: to settle or clear up; to clean up or purge
: Qing or Ch’ing dynasty of Imperial China (1644-1911)
Kun Reading
清い | きよい kiyoi
adjective
: clear; pure; noble
清め | きよめ kiyome
noun
: purification
清める OR 浄める | きよめる kiyomeru
ichidan verb | transitive verb
: to purify; to cleanse; to exorcise
清ら | きよら kiyora OR けうら keura
noun | na-adjective
: elegant beauty; dazzling beauty
清 OR 明 | さや saya
adverb
: (Archaism) clearly; brightly
: cleanly; purely
清か | さやか sayaka
na-adjective
: clear; fresh; bright
清む OR 澄む | すむ samu
godan verb with mu ending | intransitive verb
: to clear (e.g. weather); to become transparent
清ます | すます sumasu
godan verb with su ending | transitive verb
: to clear; to make clear; to be unruffled; to look unconcerned; to look demure; to look prim; to put on airs
On Reading
清 | しん shin
adverb
: Qing (dynasty of China, 1616-1912); Ch’ing
セイ sei
ショウ shou
シン shin
清楚 qing1chu: clear; distinct; to understand thoroughly; to be clear about
[せいそ seisou: neat and clean; tidy; trim]
清算 qing1suan4: to settle accounts; to clear accounts; to liquidate; to expose and criticize
[せいさん seisan: settlement (financial); squaring accounts; clearing debts
: liquidation
: ending (a relationship); breaking up (with); burying (the past); redeeming (one’s faults)]
清醒 qing1xing3: clear-headed; sober; awake
清晰 qing1xi1: clear; distinct
清除 qing1chu2: to clear away; to eliminate; to get rid of
清潔[洁] qing1jie2: clean; to clean
[清潔 | せいけつ seiketsu: clean; hygienic; sanitary
: pure; virtuous; immaculate]
澄清 cheng2qing1: clear (of liquid); limpid; to clarify; to make something clear; to be clear (about the facts)
冷清 leng3qing1: cold and cheerless; fig. lonely; unfrequented
分清 fen1qing1: to distinguish (between different things); to make distinctions clear
肅[肃]清 su4qing1: to purge
認[认]清 ren4qing1: to see clearly; to recognize
清水 qing1shui3: fresh water; drinking water; clear water
[しみず shimizu OR きよみず kiyomizu OR せいすい seisui: spring water
: clear (pure) water]
Places
Kiyomizu-dera 清水寺, officially Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (音羽山清水寺), is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site.
– photo credit stuckincustoms.com
Japanese common word | expression | yojijukugo 四字熟語 | idiom
清浄潔白 | せいじょうけっぱく seijou keppaku
: (yoji) upright and clean-handed; pure in heart and with a clean conscience
清清しい | すがすがしい suga sugashii
: refreshing (e.g. feeling, scene, wind, morning air); brisk; bracing; fresh; refreshed
*清風明月 | せいふうめいげつ seifuu meigetsu
: (yoji) refreshing breeze and the bright moon; a beautiful nocturnal scene with a full moon
和敬清寂 | わけいせいじゃく wakei seijaku
: (yoji) harmony, respect, purity and tranquility; the four most important elements of the tea ceremony
無垢清浄 | むくせいじょう muku seijou
: (yoji) pure and innocent; immaculate
百年河清 | ひゃくねんかせい hyakunen kasei
: (yoji) waiting for one hundred years for the waters of the Yellow River to clear; waiting in vain for an unlikely event. Waiting for pigs to fly. When the sky falls, we shall catch larks
門前清自摸和 | メンゼンチンツモホー menzen chintsu mohoo
: (mahj) winning off a self-drawn tile while completely concealed (yaku); winning off a self-drawn tile without having called any tiles
清水の舞台から飛び降りる | きよみずのぶたいからとびおりる kiyomizu no butai kara tobi oriru
: to make a leap into the dark; to take the plunge; to jump in at the deep end
Chinese expression | chengyu 成語 | idiom | proverb
清新自然 qing1 xin1 zi4 ran2
: as fresh and clean as nature
天清日晏 tian1 qing1 ri4 yan4
: a day of sunshine and peace
*清風明月 [清风明月] qing1 feng1 ming2 yue4
: lit. cool breeze and bright moon; unattached and at leisure
一清二楚 yi1 qing1 er4 chu3
: to be very clear about something
一清二白 yi1 qing1 er4 bai2
: perfectly clean; blameless; unimpeachable
一清如水 yi1 qing1 ru2 shui3
: lit. as clear as water; fig. (of officials etc) honest and incorruptible
兩袖清風 [两袖清风] liang3 xiu4 qing1 feng1
: lit. both sleeves flowing in the breeze; having clean hands; uncorrupted; unsoiled by corrupt practices
揚清激濁 [扬清激浊] yang2 qing1 ji1 zhuo2
: lit. drain away filth and bring in fresh water; fig. dispel evil and usher in good; eliminate vice and exalt virtue
神志不清 shen2 zhi4 bu4 qing1
: to be delirious; to be mentally confused
水清無魚 [水清无鱼] shui3 qing1 wu2 yu2
OR
水至清則無魚 [水至清则无鱼] shui3 zhi4 qing1 ze2 wu2 yu2
: Water that is too clear has few fish, and one who is too critical has few friends. You cannot expect everyone to be squeaky clean.
旁觀者清 [旁观者清] pang2 guan1 zhe3 qing1
OR
當局者迷,旁觀者清 [当局者迷,旁观者清] dang1 ju2 zhe3 mi2 , pang2 guan1 zhe3 qing1
: The person on the spot is baffled, the onlooker sees clear. The spectator sees more of the game.
眉清目秀 mei2 qing1 mu4 xiu4
: pretty; with delicate features
玉潔冰清 [玉洁冰清] yu4 jie2 bing1 qing1
: clear as ice and clean as jade; spotless; irreproachable; incorruptible
自命清高 zi4 ming4 qing1 gao1
: to think of oneself as high and pure; smug and self-righteous; holier-than-thou
耳根清淨 [耳根清净] er3 gen1 qing1 jing4
: lit. ears pure and peaceful; to stay away from the filth and unrest of the world
不分清紅皂白 [不分清红皂白] bu4 fen1 qing1 hong2 zao4 bai2
: not distinguishing red-blue or black-white; not to distinguish between right and wrong
清官難斷家務事 [清官难断家务事] qing1 guan1 nan2 duan4 jia1 wu4 shi4
: even an honest and upright official will have difficulty resolving a family dispute (proverb)
跳進黃河洗不清 [跳进黄河洗不清] tiao4 jin4 huang2 he2 xi3 bu4 qing1
: lit. even jumping into the Yellow River can’t get you clean; fig. to become inexorably mixed up; mired in controversy; in deep trouble
形声 Pictophonetic.
氵 (shui3: water radical 85) suggests the meaning while
青 (qing1: blue; green radical 174) provides the sound.
Variant:
淸 qing4
Look-alike:
凊 jing4: cool; fresh; to cool
Examples:
清算をお願いします。
せいさんをおねがいします seisan o onegaishimasu
Check, please.
去清洗一下。
qu4 qing1xi3 yi1 xia4
Go wash up.
清心的人有福了。
qing1 xin1 de ren2 you3fu2 le
Blessed are the pure in heart.