Japanese word

泉

Pronunciation

Romajiizumi

Meaning

  • nounspring

Example

冷たい泉の水を飲みました。tsume ta i izumi no mizu o no mi ma shi ta

I drank water from a cold spring.

Illustration for 泉 (spring)

More examples

その泉には、夏でも冷たい水が流れています。so no izumi ni wa natsu de mo tsume ta i mizu ga naga re te i ma su

Cold water flows from that spring even in summer.

Core concept

Links a steady flow of water with the place or feature that produces it.

Common phrases

  • 泉の水izumi no mizu

    spring water

  • 泉から水をくむizumi ka ra mizu o ku mu

    draw water from a spring

  • 泉のほとりizumi no ho to ri

    by a spring

Definition in Japanese

地中から水が湧き出る所。また、その水や、水を噴き上げる装置。chi chū ka ra mizu ga wa ki de ru tokoro ma ta so no mizu ya mizu o fu ki a ge ru sō chi

Word origin

The native Japanese noun 泉 (izumi, "spring") is associated with the older expression 出水 (idemizu, "water issuing from the ground"), whose parts mean 出 (ide, "come out") and 水 (mizu, "water").

Usage tips

  • The English word spring also means a season, but context makes the water meaning clear when people discuss drinking water or a mountain source.

Other meanings

  • fountainnoun

Word lists with this word