How to say "trim" in Japanese

• 清楚せいそCommon
  na-adjective, nounCovers 'trim' as an adjective for a person's appearance: neat, clean, and fresh. It describes how someone looks when neatly groomed and tidily dressed, not any act of cutting.
• 切り詰めるきりつめるCommon
  ichidan verb, transitive verbThe verb sense 'trim' as in cutting something down: it means to shorten or cut back hair, nails, expenses, and the like, with a nuance of reducing what is there.
• 刈り込むかりこむCommon
  godan verb, transitive verbThe verb for trimming by cutting away growth to shape something: pruning shrubs, clipping hedges, cutting back plants. It implies cutting off the excess so the whole stays neat and shapely.
• 刈るかるJLPT N3approx.Common
  godan verb, transitive verbIts core meaning is cutting grass or hair outright — mowing, clipping close — so for 'trim' it fits only that all-over cutting; for careful shaping and pruning, 刈り込む is the word you want.
  彼かれらはジャックの髪かみの刈かり方かたをひやかした。↗

  They made fun of Jack's haircut.
• 整然せいぜんJLPT N1approx.Common
  taru-adjective, adverb (with と)Covers 'trim' meaning orderly and neatly arranged — a tidy, systematic layout or rows of things in good order. It is about arrangement, not cutting or personal appearance.
  その別荘べっそうは清潔せいけつで整然せいぜんとしていた。↗

  The cottage was clean and tidy.

Use 清楚 for a neat, clean appearance and 整然 for orderly arrangement; among the verbs, 「切り詰める」 trims something down, 「刈り込む」 prunes and shapes growth, and 「刈る」 simply cuts grass or hair.

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

• 清楚せいそneat and clean
• 切り詰めるきりつめるto shorten
• 刈り込むかりこむto prune
• 刈るかるto cut (grass, hair, etc.)
• 整然せいぜんorderly
• 瀟洒しょうしゃstylish
• トリムtrim
• 切り調えるきりととのえるto trim (hedges)
• こざっぱりneat (neatly)
• 小さっぱりしたこさっぱりしたneat
• 剪るきるto cut
• 小奇麗こぎれいneat
• ハサミを入れるはさみをいれるto cut with scissors
• 化粧断ちけしょうだちtrimming (of paper)
• 刈かりcut
• ガーニッシュgarnish
• 摘むつむto snip
• 清爽せいそうneat