アルカリ性
arukarisei
The Japanese word for "alkaline" is アルカリ性 (arukarisei).
アルカリ性 is an adjective used to describe something with a pH greater than 7. The variation アルカリ質 can also be used to describe alkaline substances or materials.
Meaning: having a pH greater than 7 (adj)
Which one should you use?
The term アルカリ性 (alkaline) is the opposite of 酸性, which means "acidic".
How does it change in a sentence?
アルカリ性 functions as a no-adjective. This means it can modify other nouns directly by using the particle の, such as in the phrase アルカリ性の溶液 (an alkaline solution).
How do you pronounce it?
arukarisei
Did you know?
- The word アルカリ is a phonetic borrowing of the Arabic word 'al-qaly', which refers to plant ashes used to make soap. It entered Japanese via Western chemistry rather than directly from Arabic.
- The opposite of アルカリ性, which is 酸性 (acidic), contains the character for 'sour' (酸). This connects the abstract chemical concept of acidity directly to the physical taste of things like lemons.
- In Japanese health and wellness trends, 'alkaline water' is often called アルカリイオン水 (alkaline ion water). This specific phrasing is used to highlight the technology used to produce the water rather than just its pH level.
Examples in context
- アルカリ性の水は健康に良いです。Alkaline water is good for your health.
- この石鹸はアルカリ性です。Kono sekken wa arukarisei desu.This soap is alkaline.
- アルカリ性の土壌を作ります。Arukarisei no dojō o tsukurimasu.I will make alkaline soil.
- アルカリ性の性質を持っています。Arukarisei no seishitsu o motte imasu.It has alkaline properties.
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are talking about gardening in a backyard.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔、この植物の土はどうかな？Hiroto, kono shokubutsu no tsuchi wa dō kana?Hiroto, how is the soil for this plant?
- 大翔 Hiroto少しアルカリ性ですね。Sukoshi arukarisei desu ne.It is a bit alkaline.
- 美咲 Misakiじゃあ、調整が必要だね。Jā, chōsei ga hitsuyō da ne.Then, we need to adjust it.
- 大翔 Hirotoそうだね、やってみるよ。Sō da ne, yatte miru yo.You're right, I'll try it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries アルカリ性, CC BY-SA 4.0.
