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水彩画 (suisaiga) Japanese meaning: watercolor painting | Kotomora

水すい彩さい画が

す

い

さ

い

が

Meanings

1

watercolor painting

Refers to the painting itself or the art genre. Common in art contexts.

彼かの女じょは美うつくしい水すい彩さい画がを描えがいた。

She painted a beautiful watercolor.

水すい彩さい画がの展てん覧らん会かいに行いってきました。

I went to a watercolor painting exhibition.

Usage patterns

水すい彩さい画がを描かくto paint a watercolor
公こう園えんで水すい彩さい画がを描かくのが好すきです。
I like painting watercolors in the park.
水すい彩さい画がを習ならうto take watercolor painting lessons
去きょ年ねんから水すい彩さい画がを習ならっています。
I've been taking watercolor lessons since last year.
水すい彩さい画がで〈物もの〉を表ひょう現げんするto depict something in watercolor
この作さく品ひんは水すい彩さい画がで花はなを表ひょう現げんしている。
This piece depicts flowers in watercolor.

Kanji

水water
彩coloring, paint, makeup
画brush-stroke, picture

Related words

絵えN5
絵 is the general word for any picture or drawing, while 水彩画 specifically names a watercolor painting.
水すい彩さい
水彩画 specifically means a finished watercolor picture, while 水彩 refers more broadly to the watercolor medium or technique itself.

Don't confuse with

油あぶら絵えN1
水彩画 is painted with water-based paints, while 油絵 uses oil-based paints, so they are different painting techniques often confused by beginners.
日本にほん画が
水彩画 refers to Western-style watercolor painting, whereas 日本画 is traditional Japanese-style painting using mineral pigments, so the two differ in style and materials.

Counted with

枚まいN3
counter for thin, flat objects; sheet; plate; coin · serving of soba; portion of gyōza · sumo rank position; wrestler at a given rank · field; rice paddy plot · palanquin bearer

Built from

水すい+彩さい画が

Etymology

Compound of 水彩 (watercolor) and 画 (picture, painting). 水彩 is itself from 水 (water) and 彩 (coloring).