How to Say "Water Wheel" in Japanese

水車

suisha[sɨiɕa̠]

The English phrase "water wheel" is translated into Japanese as 水車 (suisha).

The term refers to a wheel that is propelled or powered by the movement of water.

Meaning: wheel propelled by water (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The word is a compound of 水, meaning water and 車, meaning wheel or vehicle.

The romanization is suisha.

In Japanese Buddhist art, the turning of a 水車 can be used as a metaphor for the 'Wheel of Dharma' or the cyclical nature of samsara.
The character 水 (water) often appears on the left side of other characters in a specific stylized form called さんずい (sanzui). This visual shorthand signals to the reader that the word's meaning is linked to water.
Even though 車 literally means 'wheel' or 'vehicle', it is used in Japanese to describe many rotating objects that do not actually travel on roads. For example, a Ferris wheel is called 観覧車 (kanransha), or 'observation vehicle'.

日本の伝統的な農業では、水車が利用されていました。
In traditional Japanese agriculture, water wheels were used.
あの川には小さな水車がありますよ。
There's a small water wheel in that river over there.
川に大きな水車があります。
Kawa ni ookina suisha ga arimasu.
There is a large water wheel in the river.
古い水車が回っています。
Furui suisha ga mawatte imasu.
An old water wheel is turning.
この水車はとても古いです。
Kono suisha wa totemo furui desu.
This water wheel is very old.

Yui and Kenta are visiting a rural village.

結衣 Yui

健太さん、あそこに水車がありますよ。
Kenta-san, asoko ni suisha ga arimasu yo.
Kenta, there is a water wheel over there.
健太 Kenta

本当だ。ゆっくり回っているね。
Hontou da. Yukkuri mawatte iru ne.
You're right. It's turning slowly.
結衣 Yui

水車がある風景はとても綺麗です。
Suisha ga aru fuukei wa totemo kirei desu.
The scenery with the water wheel is very beautiful.
健太 Kenta

そうだね。写真を撮ろうか。
Sou da ne. Shashin o torou ka.
I agree. Shall we take a photo?

Sources

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