How to say "soaking" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 晒しさらしnounChiefly 'bleaching'; its 'soaking' sense is soaking done as part of bleaching cloth or laundry, so it is seldom the word you want for soaking in general.
- adverb (with と)An onomatopoeic word for the state of being drenched — clothes or hair soaked right through with rain or sweat; it describes how wet something is, not the act of soaking.
- nounA straight borrowing of the English word, used where the English term itself is current; for soaking in everyday contexts, one of the native words is the safer choice.
- つけ置きつけおきnoun, suru verbThe word for leaving dirty laundry or dishes to soak in water before washing them; use it for this preparatory soaking, not for a drenched state.
- no-adjective, na-adjective, adverb (with と)An onomatopoeic word for a soggy, waterlogged mess — something drenched into a sloppy, sodden state; it stresses the messy result rather than deliberate soaking.
For soaking laundry or dishes before washing, use 「つけ置き」; for a drenched state, 「ぐっしょり」 or the messier 「ぐじゃぐじゃ」; 「晒し」 is soaking for bleaching; 「ソーキング」 is the loanword, rarely needed.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
