How to say "clean" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- na-adjectiveThe borrowed word, at home in set phrases and in advertising or sports language. It can describe freedom from dirt, but also a 'clean' image or conduct untainted by wrongdoing.
- 清潔せいけつna-adjective, nounThe word for physical, hygienic cleanliness — clean rooms, clothes, hands, kitchens, hospitals. When you want to say a place or thing is clean and sanitary, this is usually the word you want.
- 清いきよいi-adjectiveClean as in pure: clear water, a pure heart, honest motives. It points to inner or natural purity rather than hygiene, so it is seldom the word for a freshly cleaned room.
- 清らかきよらかna-adjectiveA close cousin of 清い, suggesting serene, transparent purity — clear water, an innocent gaze, an unspoiled natural scene. Like 清い it is about purity, not hygiene.
- 清浄せいじょうna-adjective, no-adjectivePurity with a solemn or technical coloring: religious ideas of the purified heart, or purified air and water in technical descriptions. For everyday 'clean', this is seldom the word you want.
Use 清潔 for everyday hygienic cleanliness, 「クリーン」 for the borrowed word in set phrases and figurative senses like a clean image, and 「清い」, 「清らか」, 清浄 for purity of water, heart, or spirit rather than hygiene.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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