みず
水
きよ
清
　
け
　
れ
　
ば
うお
魚
す
棲
　
ま
　
ず

expression

Proverb.
  1. the morally upright have a hard time making friends, fish will not live in water that is (too) clean.

Variations

Pronunciation Kanji Kana Is Common
みず
水
きよ
清
　
け
　
れ
　
ば
うお
魚
す
棲
　
ま
　
ず
 水清ければ魚棲まず みずきよければうおすまず

Contained Kanji Breakdown

water
みず　スイ　み (1st, N5)
pure, purify, cleanse
セイ　きよ.い　し (4th, N2)
water, water radical (no. 85)
さんずい
blue, green
あお　セイ　お (1st, N4)
life (生) variant
month, moon
つき　ゲツ　ガツ (1st, N5)
fish
さかな　ギョ　うお (2nd, N4)
knife, wrapping enclosure(勹) variant
rice field, rice paddy
た　デン　たん (1st, N4)
fire, fire radical (no. 86)
ヒョウ　カ
live, dwell
す.む　セイ　ずみ (Kentei Pre-1)
tree, wood
き　モク　こ- (1st, N5)
wife, spouse
つま　サイ　ずま (5th, N3)
one, one radical (no.1)
イチ　いっ　ひと- (1st, N5)
pen radical
snout, hand
number one, line, rod radical (no. 2)
コン　シ　ジョ
woman, female
ジョ　おんな　め (1st, N5)