清

• Pinyin: qīng
• Hanzi breakdown: 清 = 氵(water) + 青 (blue-green) — clear water

Meaning

Clear; pure; clean. Describes clarity, purity, or the act of clearing something.

A highly productive character appearing in many compounds: 清楚 (clear), 清洁 (clean), 清理 (clean up), 清除 (remove), 清醒 (sober), 清静 (quiet). As a standalone word, often means clear (water, sky) or to clear/settle (accounts, debts).

Examples

1. 这条小溪的水清澈见底。 The water in this stream is crystal clear — you can see the bottom.
2. 你能把账目清一清吗？我想知道总共花了多少钱。 Can you go through the accounts? I want to know how much we've spent in total.
3. 早晨的空气特别清新，适合出去跑步。 The morning air is especially fresh and perfect for going out for a run.

Usage Guide

Context: description, accounting, daily life

Tone: fresh

Do Say

• 这水很清。(This water is very clear.)
• 把账清一下吧。(Let's settle the accounts.)

Don't Say

• 注意'清'单独使用时多为形容词或动词，不要说'很清的' (Note: 清 alone is adjective/verb; don't add 的 after it when modifying nouns)

Origin & History

The character 清 combines 氵(water radical) with 青 (blue-green), originally depicting clear, clean water.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal