洗う|あらうarau[0]heiban (flat)
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Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verbto wash; to cleanse; to rinse
- godan verb, transitive verbto inquire into; to investigate
- godan verb, transitive verbto purify (one's heart)
- godan verb, transitive verbto lave (e.g. shore); to wash over (e.g. deck); to sweep
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 洗う（あらう） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 洗います（あらいます） |
| Negative (nai) | 洗わない（あらわない） |
| polite (masen) | 洗いません（あらいません） |
| classical zu / nu | 洗わず・洗わぬ（あらわず・あらわぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 洗った（あらった） |
| polite (mashita) | 洗いました（あらいました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 洗わなかった（あらわなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 洗いませんでした（あらいませんでした） |
| Te form | 洗って（あらって） |
| Potential | 洗える（あらえる） |
| Passive | 洗われる（あらわれる） |
| Causative | 洗わせる（あらわせる） |
| Causative passive | 洗わせられる・洗わされる（あらわせられる・あらわされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 洗えば（あらえば） |
| tara | 洗ったら（あらったら） |
| Volitional | 洗おう（あらおう） |
| polite (mashou) | 洗いましょう（あらいましょう） |
| Imperative | 洗え（あらえ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym洗浄せんじょうWrittenWritten/formal prose: cleaning with water or chemical agents, mostly in medical or industrial contexts, as in 「胃洗浄」.
- Synonym水洗すいせんNeutralWashing or flushing with water; mostly appears in compounds like 「水洗トイレ」 rather than standing alone.
- Synonym洗濯せんたくNeutralWashing clothes, sheets, towels and the like; also figurative uses such as 「心の洗濯」. 「洗う」 is not tied to fabrics and covers a much wider range of things to wash.
- SynonymすすぐNeutralRinses with clean water to wash away residue, as in 「口をすすぐ」; narrower than 「洗う」, which covers washing in general.
- Synonym洗滌せんできWrittenWritten/formal prose; read 「せんでき」. The original spelling of 「洗浄」, later also read 「せんじょう」; today 「洗浄」 is the usual written form.
- Related浄化じょうかWrittenWritten/formal prose: purifying water, air, or the social climate, as in 「浄化槽」.
- Related清掃せいそうNeutralCleaning a place, public or private; unlike 「洗う」, it is not used for washing clothes or hands.
- Related掃除そうじNeutralCleaning rooms and removing dust; also said for cleaning that involves no water, where 「洗う」 would not apply.
- Related研ぐとぐNeutralSharpening a blade, or washing rice as in 「米を研ぐ」, with an emphasis on scrubbing; 「洗う」 is the general word for washing.
- Related清めるきよめるWrittenWritten/formal prose: purifying by removing defilement, with a religious flavour, as in 「塩で清める」.
- Related洒掃さいそうWrittenWritten/formal prose and rare: cleaning by sprinkling water and sweeping the floor; in everyday speech say 「掃除」.
- Antonym汚すよごすNeutralThe antonym of 「洗う」: to make something dirty.
For washing with water, 「洗う」 is the default. Use 「洗濯」 for laundry, 「濯ぐ」 for rinsing, 「研ぐ」 for washing rice, 「洗浄」 for medical or industrial cleaning, and 「掃除」 for cleaning rooms; 「汚す」 is the opposite, meaning to make dirty.
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
