穏やかな水
odayaka na mizu
The English phrase "calm water" is 穏やかな水 (odayaka na mizu) in Japanese.
穏やかな水 is used to describe water that is still and lacks strong currents or waves. While this phrase specifically describes the physical state of the water, the core adjective 穏やか can also be used metaphorically to describe a person with a calm or gentle temperament.
Which one should you use?
In contrast, you can also use 静かな水, which emphasizes the lack of sound or movement (quiet/still water) rather than the gentle nature of the water itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the na-adjective 穏やか (odayaka) to modify the noun 水 (mizu). When this adjective directly precedes a noun, it must retain the particle な (na).
How do you pronounce it?
odayaka na mizu
Did you know?
- While 穏やか describes 'calm water', the Japanese language has a specific word, 凪 ('nagi'), to describe the exact moment the wind stops and the sea becomes perfectly still.
- The word 水 ('water') is used in the Japanese idiom 水に流す, which means to 'let it flow into the water' to forget a past conflict and start over.
- In traditional Zen rock gardens, the concept of perfectly still or 'calm' water is represented through the art of raking sand into precise patterns to mimic ripples.
Examples in context
- 今週末はどこか落ち着いた水辺に行きたいな。I want to go to a peaceful waterfront this weekend.
- 穏やかな水面が見えます。Odayaka na suimen ga miemasu.I can see the calm water surface.
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are looking at a lake.
- 美咲 Misaki見て、とても穏やかな水だね。Mite, totemo odayakana mizu da ne.Look, the water is so calm.
- 陽太 Yota本当に。鏡みたいに綺麗だ。Hontō ni. Kagami mitai ni kirei da.It really is. It's beautiful, like a mirror.
- 美咲 Misakiここでゆっくり休もうか。Koko de yukkuri yasumō ka.Shall we take a relaxing break here?
- 陽太 Yotaいい考えだね。そうしよう。Ii kangae da ne. Sō shiyō.That's a great idea. Let's do that.
