also: せいすい · きよみず
Water that naturally wells up from the ground, often associated with purity and freshness.
The spring water drawn from the mountain is very cold and delicious.
clear water; pure water
Emphasizes the clarity or purity of the water, not necessarily from a spring. Often used in poetic or descriptive contexts.
I want to have a heart as clear as pure water.
Spring water wells up at the foot of the mountain.
The water in that pond was as clear as pure spring water.
The villagers drew spring water from the well and took it home.
清流 refers to a clear-flowing stream or river as a body of water, whereas 清水 refers to the water itself, often from a spring.
名水 highlights water's fame or reputed quality (often from a famous source), while 清水 simply describes water as pure or clear.
浄水 implies water that has gone through a treatment or filtration process, whereas 清水 simply means clear, clean-looking water without any implication of processing.
Standard kanji spelling for the most common reading しみず.
On-reading; mostly found in formal or literary contexts, or in proper nouns.
Alternate kun-reading; mainly used in place names (e.g., 清水寺).
Compound of 清 (pure, clear) and 水 (water). The reading しみず is a kun'yomi compound, while せいすい is the on'yomi reading. The alternate reading きよみず is also kun'yomi but less common in general vocabulary.