How to say "dry" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- na-adjective, nounA loanword covering the figurative 'dry' of an unsentimental, matter-of-fact manner, and appearing in many borrowed expressions; it is not the ordinary way to say that something wet has dried.
- 拭くふくgodan verb, transitive verbCovers 'dry' only through wiping: you dry something by rubbing it with a cloth or towel, as when drying your hands or wiping away tears; the basic meaning is 'to wipe'.額の汗をふきなさい。↗Wipe the sweat from your brow.
- 乾かすかわかすgodan verb, transitive verbThe general transitive verb for making something dry, matching 'to dry (clothes, etc.)': you dry laundry, hair, or other wet things, whether with heat, air, or another means.
- 干るひるichidan verb, intransitive verbIntransitive: something dries up or becomes parched on its own, with nobody drying it — think of mud or a puddle drying up, or land becoming parched.
- 干すほすgodan verb, transitive verbTransitive: to dry something by exposing it to the air or sun, and to air things out; drying laundry outside is the typical image. It overlaps with 乾かす but stresses exposure to open air.
Use 「ドライ」 for a dry manner or set expressions; 「拭く」 for wiping things dry; 「乾かす」 to make something dry; 「干る」 when something dries up on its own; 「干す」 for drying things in the sun or air.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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