Explore 清 in descriptions of purity and in everyday words for cleanliness.
The idea
清 has 11 strokes; follow the linked diagram. Read 清い（きよい） and 清らか（きよらか） with きよ, but 清潔（せいけつ） and 清掃（せいそう） with せい. Learn each reading with its word.
| Word | Reading |
|---|---|
| 清い | きよい |
| 清潔 | せいけつ |
| 清掃 | せいそう |
| 清らか | きよらか |
Examples
- 小川の水は清いです。The stream water is clear.
- 手を清潔に保ってください。Please keep your hands clean.
- 毎朝教室を清掃します。We clean the classroom every morning.
- 清らかな声がホールに響きました。A pure voice echoed through the hall.
- 清潔なタオルを使ってください。Please use a clean towel.
- 子どもたちは公園を清掃しました。The children cleaned the park.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
清い and 清らか can describe purity or clarity; 清潔 describes a hygienic state, while 清掃 names the act of cleaning. Do not confuse 清 with 青: 清 has the water component on the left.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 清い in hiragana.
Show answer or example answer
きよい
清い is きよい: the stream water is clear. The ending い belongs in the reading.
Write the reading of 清潔 in hiragana.
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せいけつ
清潔 is せいけつ: it describes a clean, hygienic state.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿掃（せいそう）［清／青］.
Show answer or example answer
清
清 completes 清掃（せいそう）, cleaning; 青 has no water component.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 清い in hiragana.
Write the reading of 清潔 in hiragana.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿掃（せいそう）［清／青］.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write 清 using the diagram, then cover the table and read the four words. Make a sentence about keeping something clean.