乾く|かわくkawaku[2]nakadaka (mid-high)

JLPT N4approx.Common
Definitions
  1. godan verb, intransitive verbto get dry
    そのぬれたシャツはすぐに乾かわくだろう。↗
    The wet shirt will soon dry up.
Conjugation
Dictionary form乾く(かわく)
Polite (masu)乾きます(かわきます)
Negative (nai)乾かない(かわかない)
polite (masen)乾きません(かわきません)
classical zu / nu乾かず・乾かぬ(かわかず・かわかぬ)
Past (ta)乾いた(かわいた)
polite (mashita)乾きました(かわきました)
Past negative (nakatta)乾かなかった(かわかなかった)
polite (masen deshita)乾きませんでした(かわきませんでした)
Te form乾いて(かわいて)
Potential乾ける(かわける)
Passive乾かれる(かわかれる)
Causative乾かせる(かわかせる)
Causative passive乾かせられる・乾かされる(かわかせられる・かわかされる)
Conditional (ba)乾けば(かわけば)
tara乾いたら(かわいたら)
Volitional乾こう(かわこう)
polite (mashou)乾きましょう(かわきましょう)
Imperative乾け(かわけ)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Transitive / intransitive pair
intransitive乾くかわく⇄transitive乾かすかわかす
乾く describes something drying on its own or coming to be dry, while 乾かす means to actively dry something.

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

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym干るひるWrittenWritten-style word for drying or, as in 「潮が干る」, for the tide going out; little used in modern Japanese.
  • Synonym乾びるからびるWrittenWritten-style word for shrivelling up as moisture is lost; in modern speech 「干からびる」 is the usual form.
  • Related乾燥かんそうNeutralSino-Japanese word for dryness, also common in everyday use as in 「肌が乾燥する」; can also describe something dull and tedious.
  • Relatedかわき切るNeutralKana spelling of 「乾き切る」: to dry out completely, stressing that no moisture is left.
  • Antonym濡れるぬれるNeutralThe direct opposite of 「乾く」: to get wet, as in 「雨に濡れる」.
  • Antonym湿るしめるNeutralAlso the opposite of 「乾く」: to become damp, as in 「空気が湿る」.

Use 「乾く」 as the default for things getting dry; 「乾き切る」 for drying out completely, 「乾びる」 for shrivelling, and 「乾燥」 for the dry state itself. For the opposite, 「濡れる」 is getting wet and 「湿る」 becoming damp.

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

Japanese definitions
  1. 【乾かわく】水分すいぶんや湿気しっけが無なくなる。ひる。
  2. 【乾かわく】感情かんじょうがなく、冷淡れいたんな感かんじを与あたえる。「乾かわいた」の形かたちで名詞めいしの前まえで用もちいられることが多おおい。
  3. 【乾かわく】(「乾かわいた」の形かたちで)音おとが軽かるくよく響ひびく。
Kanji in this word
See also

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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