How to say "cleanse" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 洗うあらうgodan verb, transitive verbThe everyday word for washing: use it for 'cleanse' in the plain physical sense of removing dirt with water, as when washing your hands or clothes — the usual choice for literal cleansing.
- 清めるきよめるichidan verb, transitive verbCovers 'cleanse' in the spiritual or ceremonial sense: to purify a person, place, or object of sin, defilement, or ritual impurity rather than to wash off physical dirt.
- nounA loanword from English, used mainly in health and wellness contexts for detox-style cleanses of the body. It is less common, and it is not the word for washing or everyday cleaning.
- 祓うはらうgodan verb, transitive verbFor 'cleanse' it appears in the ritual sense of driving out evil spirits or misfortune — exorcism and purification; it is not used for washing physical dirt off things.
- 洗い清めるあらいきよめるichidan verbMeans to wash something until it is completely clean, stressing the result rather than the act. It is a less common, more emphatic alternative to 洗う for thorough cleansing.
Use 「洗う」 for ordinary physical washing; 「清める」 and 「祓う」 for ritual or spiritual purification, with 「祓う」 stressing the driving out of evil; 「洗い清める」 for washing something until completely clean; 「クレンズ」 only for the borrowed health-and-wellness 'cleanse.'
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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