水を飲む
mizu o nomu
To drink water in Japanese is 水を飲む (mizu o nomu).
The phrase is used to express the action of consuming water by swallowing it.
What does it mean word for word?
水 (mizu) means water, を (o) is an object marker that indicates water is the direct object of the action and 飲む (nomu) means to drink or to swallow.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is provided in its dictionary form, 水を飲む. To express the casual past tense, use 水を飲んだ. To express a negative desire casually, such as saying 'I don't want to drink water', use 水を飲みたくない.
How do you pronounce it?
mizu o nomu
Did you know?
- While 水 (mizu) is general water, the word お湯 (oyu) is used specifically for hot water, treating it as a distinct substance.
- In Japanese, the verb 飲む (nomu) is used not only for liquids like water, but also for taking medicine. An English speaker might expect a different verb for swallowing a pill, but the same word applies.
- The kanji 水 (mizu) is a pictograph that originally represented the flowing current of a river.
Examples in context
- 喉が渇いたので水を飲む。nodo ga kawaita node mizu o nomu.I am thirsty, so I will drink water.
- 運動の後は水を飲むのがいいです。undou no ato wa mizu o nomu no ga ii desu.It is good to drink water after exercising.
- 毎朝、必ず水を飲む習慣があります。maiasa, kanarazu mizu o nomu shuukan ga arimasu.I have a habit of drinking water every morning without fail.
