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Kanji for Pure

The kanji most commonly used for "Pure" are 純、清、潔.

純

Kanji that mean Pure

  • 純

    pure, genuine, simple

    Onyomi: jun 10 strokes Jōyō

  • 清

    clear, fresh, serene

    Onyomi: sei, shin, shoh Kunyomi: kiyo.i, kiyo.maru, kiyomeru 11 strokes Jōyō

  • 潔

    pure, honest, righteous

    Onyomi: ketsu Kunyomi: isagiyo.i 15 strokes Jōyō

  • 粋

    chic, pure

    Also associated with fine.

    Onyomi: sui Kunyomi: iki 10 strokes Jōyō

純 (jun) is purity as the unmixed — the thread radical 糸: silk of a single strand. 純粋 (junsui) is pure, unadulterated; 純愛 is pure love; 単純 is simple. In names (Jun, Sumi) it promises an uncomplicated heart.

清 (sei / kiyoi) is purity as clear water — the water radical 氵 beside 青, blue: 清い is pure and clean; 清流 a clear stream; 清水 (Shimizu, Kiyomizu) springs and temples across Japan. Shinto’s ideal is exactly this character: 清め is ritual purification, water poured before prayer.

潔 (ketsu / isagiyoi) is purity as integrity — 清潔 is clean/hygienic, but 潔い is the beautiful word for a person who accepts, owns, and does not squirm: graceful and unsullied in defeat. 粋 (sui / iki) is the connoisseur’s purity — the distilled essence, and iki, Edo’s word for effortless chic. Four purities: unmixed 純, clear 清, upright 潔, refined 粋.

Kanji associated with Pure

These carry pure as a connotation rather than as their core meaning.

  • 真

    true, truth, pure

  • 淑

    graceful, pure

  • 浄

    pure, to clean, to purify

  • 淨

    pure, to purify

  • 粹

    pure, essence, refined

  • 淳

    honest

  • 湛

    deep

  • 醇

    pure

  • 眞

    true, truth

  • 氷

    ice, to freeze

  • 素

    plain, element, original

  • 生

    to give birth, life, to grow

Words using Pure kanji

Everyday Japanese vocabulary built from the characters above.

  • 単純 たんじゅん Listen simple; plain; uncomplicated
  • 清算 せいさん Listen (financial) settlement; squaring accounts; clearing debts
  • 清潔 せいけつ Listen clean; hygienic; sanitary
  • 純粋 じゅんすい Listen pure; true; genuine
  • 清掃 せいそう Listen cleaning; clean-up; garbage collection
  • 簡潔 かんけつ Listen concise; brief; succinct
  • 純益 じゅんえき Listen clear profit; net income; net profit
  • 潔白 けっぱく Listen innocence; guiltlessness; purity
  • 純金 じゅんきん Listen pure gold; solid gold; fine gold

Before you use Pure kanji

清 reads as fresh, clean and Shinto-bright; 純 as innocent and unmixed — both entirely safe. 潔 is the moral beauty of owning one's actions, a virtue Japanese admires deeply. 粋 is the stylish pick — "iki", Edo cool. Any works; together with 心 (heart), 清心 or 純心 name the pure heart outright.

Other meanings to explore

See all kanji by meaning →

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