Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 入浴 | nyūyoku | [ɲ̟ɨːjo̞kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 沐浴 | mokuyoku | |
| 湯浴み | yuami | [jɯ̟a̠mʲi] (narrow) |
The term refers to the act of bathing. In daily conversation, Japanese speakers almost always use the term お風呂 to refer to the bath or the act of taking a bath rather than the formal 入浴. You can describe bath water using adjectives like 温かい (warm), 冷たい (cold), きれい (clean) or 汚れている (dirty).
What does it mean word for word?
The word 入浴 is composed of the kanji for 'enter' (入) and 'bath' (浴).
Which one should you use?
入浴 is a formal, technical or medical term for the act of bathing. In contrast, 沐浴 specifically refers to ritual purification or ceremonial bathing, while 湯浴み is another way to express the concept. For common everyday situations, use the informal お風呂.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the noun 入浴 as a verb meaning 'to bathe', you must add the verb する to form 入浴する. To say 'to enter the bath', you can use the phrase お風呂に入る.
How do you pronounce it?
nyūyoku
Did you know?
- In Japan, the bath is not for washing the body, but for soaking in clean water. One must scrub clean in the shower before entering the tub to keep the bath water for everyone.
- The word お風呂 contains the honorific prefix お, which is so ingrained that using just 風呂 can sound blunt or overly masculine in daily speech.
- In a public bath, it is considered a breach of etiquette to let your towel touch the water, as the お風呂 must remain pristine for everyone.
Examples in context
- 入浴剤は使ってる？Do you use bath salts?This example shows how to use 入浴 when asking about bath salts.Tatoeba #11527057 by small_snow, translation #9849551 by NurseMeeks
- 彼は毎朝入浴します。He has a bath every morning.This example demonstrates the use of 入浴 for a daily habit.Tatoeba #99812 by bunbuku, translation #303885 by jakov
- 父は夕食前に入浴する。My father takes a bath before supper.This example illustrates the use of 入浴 to describe an action taken before a meal.Tatoeba #84331 by bunbuku, translation #319384 by CK
- Kinou wa ofuro ni hairimashita ka? (昨日はお風呂に入りましたか？)Did you take a bath yesterday?
- Ofuro ni nani wo iremasu ka? (お風呂に何を入れますか？)What do you put in your bath?
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Himari and Yota are discussing their daily routines.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太、入浴の時間はどれくらい？Yota, nyuyoku no jikan wa dore kurai?Yota, how long is your bath time?
- 陽太 Yotaだいたい十五分くらいかな。Daitai jugofun kurai kana.About fifteen minutes, I guess.
- 陽葵 Himari私は入浴してゆっくり休みたい。Watashi wa nyuyoku shite yukkuri yasumitai.I want to take a bath and relax.
- 陽太 Yotaそれが一番いい方法だね。Sore ga ichiban ii houhou dane.That is the best way.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bath” translations and entries 入浴, 沐浴, 湯浴み, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
