水すい面めん

also: みなも

す

い

め

ん

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun

water's surface

Refers to the surface of a body of water, such as a lake, river, or sea. The reading みなも is a poetic alternative.

月つきの光ひかりが水すい面めんに映うつっている。
The moonlight is reflected on the water's surface.
小こ石いしを投なげると、水すい面めんに波は紋もんが広ひろがった。
When I threw a pebble, ripples spread across the water's surface.

See all 142 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉が水すい面めんに浮うかぶfor something to float on the water's surface
落おち葉ばが静しずかに水すい面めんに浮うかんでいた。
Fallen leaves were quietly floating on the water's surface.
水すい面めんに〈物もの〉が映うつるfor something to be reflected on the water's surface
月つきの光ひかりが水すい面めんに美うつくしく映うつっていた。
The moonlight was beautifully reflected on the water's surface.
水すい面めんが波なみ立だつfor the water's surface to ripple or become choppy
風かぜが強つよくなり、水すい面めんが波なみ立だってきた。
The wind picked up and the water's surface began to ripple.
水すい面めんを切きるto skim or cut across the water's surface
モーターボートが水すい面めんを切きって進すすんだ。
The motorboat sped forward, cutting across the water's surface.

Kanji

水water
面mask, face, features

Related words

湖こ面めん
湖面 refers specifically to the surface of a lake, while 水面 is the general term for the surface of any body of water.
海かい面めんN1
海面 refers specifically to the surface of the sea, while 水面 is the general term used for the surface of any body of water.

Opposites

水すい底てい
水底 is the bottom of a body of water, the direct opposite of 水面, the top surface.

Don't confuse with

表ひょう面めんN3
表面 means the surface of any object or substance in general, while 水面 specifically means the surface of water.
水すい上じょう
水面 refers to the physical surface of the water itself, whereas 水上 describes something located or operating on that surface, so they are often confused in compounds.
水すい位い
水面 refers to the water's surface itself, while 水位 refers to the measured height of that surface.
水すい中ちゅうN1
水面 refers to the surface of the water, while 水中 refers to the space below that surface.

Word family

内ない水すい面めん
inland waters
水すい面めん下か
underwater; below the water surface · behind the scenes; behind closed doors; below the surface
水すい面めん波は
water wave; surface wave
公こう有ゆう水すい面めん
public waters
地ち下か水すい面めん
water table; groundwater level

Written forms

水面Usage99%
- すいめん
  Standard kanji spelling; the most common reading is すいめん.
- みなも
  Literary or poetic reading; rarely used in modern everyday speech.
みなもUsage1%

Etymology

Compound of 水 (water) and 面 (surface, face). The reading みなも is a native Japanese word (yamato kotoba) of uncertain origin, possibly related to 水 (み) and 面 (おも).