How to say "bathing" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

風呂ふろJLPT N5approx.Common
nounThe word for the bath itself—covering the tub, the room, and bathing; what you use for taking a bath at home or asking whether someone has bathed yet.
インカ人にんはヨーロッパ人にんよりも多おおく風呂ふろへ入はいった。↗
The Inca took baths more often than Europeans.
入浴にゅうよくJLPT N1approx.Common
noun, suru verb, intransitive verbTreats bathing as an event or activity—getting into the bath—rather than the tub or room; typical of schedules, notices, and talk about when or how someone bathes.
私は１日にちおきに入浴にゅうよくする。↗
I take a bath every other day.
遊泳ゆうえいCommon
noun, suru verb, intransitive verbRefers to swimming in the sea, a river, or a pool—its 'bathing' sense is the 'bathing beach' kind—so it is not the word for taking a bath; expect it on signs banning swimming.
彼かれは宇宙うちゅうを遊泳ゆうえいした最初さいしょの人間にんげんだった。↗
He was the first man to float in space.

Use 風呂 for the bath itself and bathing at home, 入浴 for the act of taking a bath, and 遊泳 only for swimming, not for bathing in a tub.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese equivalents

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

Say it right, write it right