汚い・穢い|きたないkitanai[3]nakadaka (mid-high)
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
Which spelling to use
汚い汚い（きたない） is the most common form, written with kanji and kana, and is the default choice for beginners in ordinary writing.
穢い穢い（きたない） is a rarely used form written with kanji and kana, so you will seldom see it. Beginners should normally use 汚い（きたない） instead.
Definitions
- i-adjectivedirty; filthy; foul; unclean
- i-adjectivedisordered; messy; untidy; poor (e.g. handwriting)
- i-adjectiveindecent (language, etc.); dirty; vulgar; coarse
- i-adjectivedastardly; mean; base; underhanded
- i-adjectivestingy; greedy
Conjugation
| Plain form | 汚い（きたない） |
|---|---|
| Polite (desu) | 汚いです（きたないです） |
| Negative (kunai) | 汚くない（きたなくない） |
| polite (ku arimasen) | 汚くありません（きたなくありません） |
| Past (katta) | 汚かった（きたなかった） |
| Past negative (kunakatta) | 汚くなかった（きたなくなかった） |
| Te form (kute) | 汚くて（きたなくて） |
| Adverbial (ku) | 汚く（きたなく） |
| Conditional (kereba) | 汚ければ（きたなければ） |
| kattara | 汚かったら（きたなかったら） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym不潔ふけつWrittenWritten/formal prose. Unhygienic or unsanitary; can also imply improper relations between men and women.
- Synonym不衛生ふえいせいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Poor hygiene or sanitation — 「不衛生な環境」 — said of living conditions, toilets, food; not general dirt.
- Synonym薄汚いうすぎたないCasualColloquial. Suggests something looks dingy and grimy rather than outright dirty — 「薄汚い服」. 「汚い」 covers dirt and mess of any kind.
- SynonymダーティーCasualColloquial loanword, used mostly for dirty in the sense of underhand or disreputable — 「ダーティーなイメージ」.
- Synonym汚らしいきたならしいCasualColloquial. Filthy-looking and off-putting; stronger than 「汚い」 in stressing that something disgusts you.
- Related汚らわしいけがらわしいWrittenWritten/formal prose. So filthy it repels you, with the stress on the moral or spiritual side, deserving contempt — 「汚らわしい金」.
- Relatedむさ苦しいむさくるしいCasualColloquial. A room or one's dress is scruffy and slovenly; also used humbly of one's own home, as in 「むさ苦しい所ですが」.
- RelatedむさいCasualColloquial and rather rough. Scruffy, unkempt, unwashed — said mostly of a man's appearance.
- Antonym清いきよいWrittenWritten/formal prose and the direct opposite of 「汚い」: clear and pure, also of a pure heart or clean dealings.
- AntonymきれいNeutralNeutral and the everyday opposite of 「汚い」: clean and tidy, and by extension pretty or lovely.
For dirt or mess in general, 「汚い」 is the default. Use 「薄汚い」 for a dingy, grimy look, 「不潔」 or 「不衛生」 for unhygienic conditions, 「汚らわしい」 for moral filth, and 「むさ苦しい」 for scruffy rooms or dress. The opposite of 「汚い」 is 「綺麗」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
