When you're thirsty in Japan, you'll want to ask for 飲み水 (nomimizu). This word specifically refers to water that is safe to drink, as opposed to water for washing or other purposes. It's a very practical term to know, especially when traveling or dining out, to ensure you get potable water. Remember this term to stay hydrated safely!
When you're thirsty in Japan, you'll want to ask for 飲み水 (nomimizu). This word specifically refers to water that is safe and intended for drinking. It differentiates it from other types of water, such as tap water that might be used for washing, or water that's for agricultural purposes. So, if you're at a restaurant or someone's home and need a drink of water, 飲み水 is the term to use.
How Formal Is It?
"災害時には、飲料水の確保が最優先されます。(In times of disaster, securing drinking water is the highest priority.)"
"この水は飲み水として適していますか？ (Is this water suitable for drinking?)"
"ちょっと水ちょうだい。 (Gimme some water.)"
"ママ、お水がほしい！ (Mommy, I want some water!)"
"のど乾いた、水くれ。(I'm thirsty, gimme water.)"
Fun Fact
The kanji 飲 (in) originally depicted a person opening their mouth wide to drink, and the kanji 水 (sui/mizu) is a pictograph of flowing water.
Pronunciation Guide
- mispronouncing the 'u' at the end as a hard 'oo' sound
- not emphasizing the second 'mi' enough
Examples by Level
これは飲み水ですか？
Is this drinking water?
A simple question asking if something is drinking water.
飲み水がありません。
There is no drinking water.
Expresses the absence of drinking water.
飲み水をください。
Please give me drinking water.
A polite request for drinking water.
この水は飲み水です。
This water is drinking water.
States that specific water is suitable for drinking.
飲み水はどこですか？
Where is the drinking water?
Asks for the location of drinking water.
冷たい飲み水がほしいです。
I want cold drinking water.
Expresses a desire for cold drinking water.
飲み水を持ってきてください。
Please bring drinking water.
A polite request for someone to bring drinking water.
毎日、飲み水を飲みます。
I drink drinking water every day.
States a daily habit of drinking water.
これは飲み水ですか？
Is this drinking water?
ですか (desu ka) is a polite question marker.
喉が渇いたので、飲み水が欲しいです。
I'm thirsty, so I want some drinking water.
ので (node) indicates a reason or cause.
このボトルに飲み水を入れます。
I will put drinking water in this bottle.
に (ni) indicates the destination or location.
安全な飲み水を探しています。
I'm looking for safe drinking water.
な (na) is an adjectival particle for な-adjectives like 安全 (anzen, safe).
水道水は飲み水として使えますか？
Can tap water be used as drinking water?
として (toshite) means 'as' or 'in the capacity of'.
災害時には、飲み水がとても重要です。
In times of disaster, drinking water is very important.
時には (toki ni wa) means 'at times of' or 'when'.
ペット用の飲み水はありますか？
Do you have drinking water for pets?
用の (you no) means 'for the purpose of' or 'for'.
この地域では、飲み水を買う必要があります。
In this area, it is necessary to buy drinking water.
必要があります (hitsuyou ga arimasu) means 'it is necessary to'.
Often Confused With
General term for water, not necessarily potable.
Tap water; a source of drinking water, but not the general concept itself.
Formal or technical term for drinking water.
Easily Confused
Often confused with 飲み水 (nomimizu) because both refer to 'water.' However, 水 is a general term for water, whereas 飲み水 specifically means 'drinking water.'
水 (mizu) can be any water (e.g., bath water, river water), while 飲み水 (nomimizu) is potable water.
お風呂の水は熱いです。 (Ofuro no mizu wa atsui desu.) - The bath water is hot. [Hint: Refers to non-potable water]
水道水 means 'tap water,' which is usually drinkable in Japan. Learners might use it interchangeably with 飲み水.
水道水 is water from the tap, which is a source of 飲み水. 飲み水 is the general concept of drinkable water, regardless of its source.
水道水を直接飲んでも大丈夫です。 (Suidousui o chokusetsu nonde mo daijoubu desu.) - It's okay to drink tap water directly. [Hint: Tap water is a type of drinking water]
This is a direct loanword for 'mineral water' and is inherently drinkable. It can be confused with 飲み水.
ミネラルウォーター is a specific type of bottled drinking water. 飲み水 is a broader term for any water suitable for drinking.
ミネラルウォーターを買いました。 (Minerraruwootaa o kaimashita.) - I bought mineral water. [Hint: A specific type of drinking water]
While clearly 'hot water,' learners might incorrectly think it's a specific type of drinking water in some contexts due to its common use for beverages.
お湯 is hot water, which can be drinkable (e.g., for tea) but is not exclusively 'drinking water.' 飲み水 is any water, hot or cold, that is safe to drink.
お湯を沸かしてください。 (Oyu o wakashite kudasai.) - Please boil some hot water. [Hint: Can be used for drinking, but is not 'drinking water' itself]
飲料水 also translates to 'drinking water.' It's a more formal or technical term compared to the everyday 飲み水.
飲料水 is a more formal or administrative term for drinking water, often seen on labels or in official contexts. 飲み水 is the common, everyday term.
この水は飲料水として適しています。 (Kono mizu wa inryousui to shite tekishite imasu.) - This water is suitable as drinking water. [Hint: More formal usage]
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Nomi (drink) + Mizu (water) = Nomimizu (drinking water). It's straightforward: 'drink water' literally means 'drinking water.'
Visual Association
Imagine a clear, refreshing glass of water. Think of yourself taking a big 'nomi' (gulp) of that 'mizu' (water) because it's safe to drink. Picture a water tap with a label saying '飲み水'.
Word Web
Challenge
Try using '飲み水' in these sentences: 1. Is this water safe to drink? (これは飲み水ですか？) 2. Please give me some drinking water. (飲み水をください。) 3. I need drinking water for cooking. (料理に飲み水が必要です。)
Word Origin
飲み水 (nomimizu) combines two kanji: 飲み (nomi), the stem of the verb 飲む (nomu - to drink), and 水 (mizu - water).
Original meaning: Literally, 'drink water' or 'water for drinking.'
JaponicCultural Context
Japanese culture places a high value on cleanliness, and this extends to drinking water. Tap water in most parts of Japan is safe to drink directly. While bottled water is widely available, it's often seen as a convenience or a luxury rather than a necessity due to the high quality of tap water.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
Asking for drinking water in a restaurant or cafe.
- すみません、お冷をお願いします。
- お水いただけますか？
- 飲み水はありますか？
Inquiring if water from a tap or fountain is safe to drink.
- この水は飲めますか？
- 水道水は飲んでも大丈夫ですか？
- これは飲み水ですか？
Offering someone drinking water.
- 飲み水、いかがですか？
- お水どうぞ。
- 冷たい飲み水がありますよ。
Discussing the availability or quality of drinking water in a specific location.
- この地域の飲み水は安全ですか？
- 災害時に飲み水は確保されていますか？
- ボトル入りの飲み水しかありません。
Asking where to get drinking water.
- 飲み水はどこで手に入りますか？
- 給水所はどこですか？
- 自動販売機で飲み水が買えます。
Conversation Starters
"旅行中、現地の飲み水について気をつけることはありますか？ (Are there things to be careful about regarding local drinking water when traveling?)"
"もし無人島にたどり着いたら、どうやって飲み水を確保しますか？ (If you ended up on a deserted island, how would you secure drinking water?)"
"日本の水道水は直接飲めるって本当ですか？ (Is it true that tap water in Japan is directly drinkable?)"
"災害時の飲み水の備蓄についてどう思いますか？ (What do you think about stocking drinking water for disasters?)"
"将来、飲み水不足は世界的な問題になると思いますか？ (Do you think drinking water shortages will become a global problem in the future?)"
Journal Prompts
あなたが今までで一番美味しかった飲み水はどんな水でしたか？ (What was the most delicious drinking water you've ever had?)
もし一日中飲み水がなかったら、どんな気持ちになりますか？ (How would you feel if you didn't have drinking water for a whole day?)
飲み水が無料で手に入らない国に行ったことがありますか？その時の経験を書いてみてください。 (Have you been to a country where drinking water isn't freely available? Write about your experience then.)
環境保護のために、飲み水の消費に関してどんなことができると思いますか？ (What do you think we can do regarding drinking water consumption for environmental protection?)
普段、どんな飲み物をよく飲みますか？それらは飲み水とどう違いますか？ (What kinds of drinks do you usually drink? How are they different from drinking water?)
Test Yourself 24 questions
Listen to the sentence and understand that 'this' is 'drinking water'.
Listen for 'where is' and 'drinking water'.
Listen for a request for 'water' and clarification that it's 'drinking water'.
Read this aloud:
これは飲み水ですか。
Focus: no-mi-zu
You said:
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Read this aloud:
飲み水をください。
Focus: ku-da-sai
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
はい、飲み水です。
Focus: hai, no-mi-zu
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Write a short sentence asking for drinking water in a restaurant.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
飲み水をください。
Write a sentence saying you want to drink water.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
飲み水が飲みたい。
Write a sentence stating that the water is drinking water.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
これは飲み水です。
What is the speaker asking for?
Read this passage:
すみません、飲み水はありますか？
What is the speaker asking for?
「飲み水」(nomimizu) means 'drinking water', and 「ありますか」(arimasu ka) is a way to ask 'do you have?'.
「飲み水」(nomimizu) means 'drinking water', and 「ありますか」(arimasu ka) is a way to ask 'do you have?'.
What does the passage say about the water?
Read this passage:
この水は飲み水です。安全です。
What does the passage say about the water?
「この水は飲み水です」(Kono mizu wa nomimizu desu) means 'This water is drinking water.' 「安全です」(Anzen desu) means 'It is safe.'
「この水は飲み水です」(Kono mizu wa nomimizu desu) means 'This water is drinking water.' 「安全です」(Anzen desu) means 'It is safe.'
Why does the speaker want drinking water?
Read this passage:
喉が渇きました。飲み水がほしいです。
Why does the speaker want drinking water?
「喉が渇きました」(Nodo ga kawakimashita) means 'I'm thirsty.'
「喉が渇きました」(Nodo ga kawakimashita) means 'I'm thirsty.'
この___は安全に飲めますか？ (Is this ___ safe to drink?)
The question asks if 'this' is safe to drink, so 'drinking water' (飲み水) is the appropriate fit.
ハイキングに___を持っていきましょう。 (Let's take ___ for the hike.)
When going on a hike, 'drinking water' (飲み水) is essential to bring.
災害時には、きれいな___が重要です。 (In a disaster, clean ___ is important.)
During a disaster, access to clean 'drinking water' (飲み水) is crucial for survival.
彼はペットボトルに___を入れました。 (He put ___ into the plastic bottle.)
People typically put 'drinking water' (飲み水) into a plastic bottle to carry.
このホテルでは、各部屋に___があります。 (This hotel has ___ in each room.)
Hotels often provide 'drinking water' (飲み水) in guest rooms for convenience.
運動の後は、たくさんの___を飲みましょう。 (After exercise, let's drink a lot of ___.)
After exercising, it's important to rehydrate by drinking plenty of 'drinking water' (飲み水).
この地域では、水道水をそのまま___として飲むのは避けるべきです。
文脈から、水道水を直接飲むことについて言及しているため、「飲み水」が適切です。他の選択肢は文脈に合いません。
災害時には、安全な___の確保が最優先事項となります。
災害時に最も必要とされる基本的な生命維持の要素は「飲み水」です。
彼は、山歩きの際は必ず___を数リットル持参します。
山歩きにおいて、水分補給のために最も一般的に持参されるのは「飲み水」です。
旅行先では、現地の___が体に合うか事前に確認することが重要です。
旅行先での体調管理において、現地の水が体に合うかどうかは重要な確認事項です。
この浄水器は、どんな水でも___に変えることができます。
浄水器の機能から、不純な水を「飲み水」に変換することが目的とされています。
夏場は特に、脱水症状を防ぐためにこまめに___を摂るようにしましょう。
脱水症状の予防には、定期的な水分補給、つまり「飲み水」を摂ることが不可欠です。
/ 24 correct
Perfect score!
Related Content
This Word in Other Languages
More food words
少々
B1A little; a few.
〜ほど
B1About; approximately; degree.
~ほど
B1About, approximately; to the extent of ~.
豊富な
B1Abundant, rich in.
ふんだんに
B1Lavishly; abundantly; generously (e.g., using ingredients).
足す
B1To add (e.g., to a sum, to ingredients).
添加物
B1Additive.
〜てから
B1After doing ~.
~てから
B1After doing (an action).
熟成させる
B1To age; to mature (food).
