1.
water (polite/soft form); a glass of water
The polite/softened version of 水 ('water'), formed by prefixing the honorific お. Especially common in service contexts (restaurants, cafes, hospitals), in women's speech, and when speaking to children. The meaning is the same as 水, but the tone is more courteous or gentle.
お水をください。
Water, please. / Could I have some water?
お水のおかわりはいかがですか。
Would you like a refill of water?
薬をお水と一緒に飲んでください。
Please take the medicine with water.
レストランに入るとすぐにお水とおしぼりを出してくれた。
As soon as we entered the restaurant, they brought us water and a hot towel.
The honorific prefix お + 水. Semantically identical to 水 but with a softer, more polite tone. This お-prefixed form is so well established that some speakers use it by default in everyday conversation.
USAGE:
- Standard in restaurants and cafes on both the customer and staff sides: お水をください ('some water, please'), お水のおかわり ('a water refill').
- Common in women's speech and when speaking with children, conveying gentleness or care.
- Often seen on printed menus and service-industry signage, where お水 is the default term.
- In some contexts — especially in healthcare or etiquette — お水 specifically implies cold water, contrasting with お湯 ('hot water').
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- お水をください: water, please
- お水を一杯: a glass of water
- お水を飲む: to drink water
- お水を注ぐ: to pour water
- お水のおかわり: a refill of water
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 水: water — the plain, unmarked form; appropriate in most contexts
- お湯: hot water — paired with お水 in service language
- お冷や: cold water (a more traditional service term, still used in some restaurants)
- ミネラルウォーター: mineral/bottled water
REGISTER:
- Polite and neutral-to-feminine. Men also use it freely, especially in restaurants or when speaking politely.
- Removing the お makes the speech more direct: 水をくれ ('gimme some water') is blunt and male-coded.