石鹸・石けん|せっけんsekken[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounsoap
   ひげをそる前まえに石せっけんをつける。↗

   I lather my face before shaving.

• SynonymソープCasualA colloquial loanword used mostly in compounds like 「ボディソープ」; on its own it can also mean an adult entertainment venue, so take care.
• Synonym石ケンNeutralA neutral, mixed kanji-katakana spelling of 「石鹸」 with the same meaning, common on product packaging.
• SynonymセッケンNeutralA neutral katakana spelling of 「石鹸」, same meaning; seen mostly on products and in academic writing.
• RelatedシャボンCasualA colloquial, old-fashioned loanword for soap; in modern Japanese it survives mainly in 「シャボン玉」 (soap bubbles).

For plain soap, 「石鹸」 is the default; 「石ケン」 and 「セッケン」 are just other ways of writing it. Use 「シャボン玉」 for soap bubbles and 「〜ソープ」 for body wash and the like.

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

1. 洗剤せんざいの一ひとつ。代表的だいひょうてきな製法せいほうは、動植物どうしょくぶつの油脂ゆしを水酸化すいさんかナトリウムで鹼化して塩析えんせきする。