The kanji character 清 fundamentally represents the concept of "purity," "cleanliness," and "clarity." This can apply to physical objects, as in being free from dirt or impurities, or to abstract concepts, such as a clear mind or pure intentions. It suggests a state of being unadulterated and unspoiled.

・On-yomi (音読み): セイ (sei) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): きよ.い (kiyoi) - meaning "pure," "clean," or "clear"; きよ.まる (kiyoma.ru) - meaning "to be purified" or "to become clean"; きよ.める (kiyome.ru) - meaning "to purify" or "to cleanse"

⚫︎ 清い水 Translation: Clean water ⚫︎ 清掃 (seisou) Translation: Cleaning; sanitation ⚫︎ 清らかな心 Translation: A pure/clear heart

The kanji 清 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), which means it's a character that combines a semantic component (meaning) with a phonetic component (sound). The semantic component is 氵 (san-sui), the water radical, indicating something related to water or liquids. The phonetic component is 青 (sei, or ao in kun-yomi, meaning "blue" or "green"). Originally, 青 represented blue or green, and therefore, pure or clear. The combination suggests water that is clear or pure, like the color of blue. Over time, the meaning expanded to encompass general notions of cleanliness and clarity.