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淡水 (たんすい, tansui) Japanese meaning: fresh water | Kotomora

淡たん水すい

た

ん

す

い

Common word›JLPTN2›Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

fresh water

Refers to water that is not salty, such as river, lake, or rain water. Often contrasted with 海水 (seawater) or 鹹水 (salt water).

See also: 鹹水

この湖みずうみは淡たん水すいで、泳およぐのに適てきしている

。

This lake is fresh water and suitable for swimming.

淡たん水すい魚ぎょは海かい水すい魚ぎょよりも飼し育いくが難むずかしいと言いわれる。

Freshwater fish are said to be harder to keep than saltwater fish.

Usage patterns

〈生せい物ぶつ〉が淡たん水すいにすむfor a creature to live in fresh water
この魚さかなは淡たん水すいにすむ種しゅ類るいだ。
This fish is a species that lives in fresh water.
淡たん水すいを確かく保ほするto secure a supply of fresh water
乾かん燥そう地ち帯たいでは淡たん水すいを確かく保ほするのが難むずかしい。
In arid regions, it's difficult to secure a supply of fresh water.

Kanji

淡thin, faint, pale
水water

Related words

海かい水すい
Seawater; the direct opposite of 淡水.
鹹かん水すい
Salt water; a more technical or formal term, often used in scientific contexts.

Opposites

海かい水すいN1
淡水 is fresh water without salt, while 海水 is seawater, the salty water of oceans.
鹹かん水すい
淡水 refers to non-salty water like rivers and lakes, whereas 鹹水 is the more technical or scientific term for salt water.
塩しお水みず
淡水 is the more formal/scientific term for fresh water, contrasting with 塩水 in the same way 真水 does but used in technical contexts.

Word family

淡たん水すい魚ぎょ
freshwater fish
淡たん水すい化か
desalination; desalinization; desalting
淡たん水すい湖こ
freshwater lake
淡たん水すい産さん
freshwater; limnetic

Etymology

Composed of 淡 (light, pale, here meaning 'not salty') and 水 (water). The reading is on'yomi.

淡たん水すい藻そう

freshwater algae

淡たん水すいダイビング

freshwater diving