下水|げすいgesui[0]heiban (flat)
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- noundrainage; ditch; gutter; sewerage
- nounsewage; black water
- SynonymどぶCasualThe same 「どぶ」: an open ditch that carries dirty water; 「どぶ川」 means a filthy stream. 「下水」 is the umbrella term for the sewage and the facilities.
- Synonym下水道げすいどうNeutralThe entire system of pipes, channels and treatment plants that removes and treats sewage and rainwater; 「下水」 can refer to the wastewater itself.
- Related汚水おすいNeutralThe dirty water itself; 「下水」 can also mean the drainage facilities, not just the water.
- Related下水溝げすいこうWrittenA drainage ditch or channel; a term of written, formal prose. 「下水」 is the broader, more general word.
- Antonym上水じょうすいNeutralAntonym: tap water supplied clean for drinking and daily use, the counterpart of 「下水」 as drainage.
Use 「下水」 for drainage facilities or household wastewater; 「下水道」 for the whole sewer system, 「汚水」 for the dirty water itself, 「どぶ」 for an open, smelly ditch, and 「上水」 for tap water.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


