浴槽
yokusō[jo̞kɯ̟so̞ː]
The Japanese word for bathtub is 浴槽 (yokusō).
浴槽 refers specifically to the physical vessel or container used for bathing. While it accurately names the object, it is a technical term often found in professional contexts like plumbing, construction or product catalogs.
Meaning: large container in which a person may bathe (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of two kanji: 浴, meaning bath and 槽, meaning tank, tub or vat.
Which one should you use?
While 浴槽 describes the physical object, the term お風呂 is much more common in daily life. お風呂 can refer to the bathtub itself or the entire act of taking a bath.
How do you pronounce it?
yokusō
When do people say it?
In Japan, the term お風呂 is deeply connected to the country's traditional bathing culture, encompassing both the physical bathtub and the ritual of bathing.
Did you know?
- Unlike Western bathtubs meant for washing the body, the Japanese お風呂 is traditionally used for soaking and relaxing after the person has already scrubbed themselves clean while sitting on a stool beside the tub.
- Traditional Japanese tubs were often made of 檜 (cypress) wood, which releases a distinct fragrance when it comes into contact with hot water.
- Many modern Japanese 浴槽 feature a 're-circulation' button that automatically reheats the water to keep it at a constant temperature for the whole family.
Examples in context
- トムは浴槽に水をためた。Tom filled the bathtub with water.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 浴槽 with the verb 'to fill'.Tatoeba #8670231 by small_snow, translation #3073633 by CK
- 彼は浴槽に水を出しっぱなしにしている。He has the water running in the bathtub.This sentence demonstrates how to describe water running in the 浴槽.Tatoeba #99166 by bunbuku, translation #304533 by CK
- お前が浴槽の栓を抜いたから、水が減ったんだよ。You opened the bathtub drain, so some of the water went away.This sentence shows how to talk about the drain of the 浴槽.Tatoeba #10512943 by small_snow, translation #10512944 by DJ_Saidez
- 私は毎晩、お風呂に入ります。I take a bath every evening.
- お風呂に入る前に、身体を洗いましょう。Let's wash our bodies before entering the bathtub.
- 風呂に入ってリラックスするのが好きだ。I like to relax by taking a bath.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is discussing cleaning the bathroom.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣、浴槽を掃除してくれた？Yui, yokusō o sōji shite kureta?Yui, did you clean the bathtub?
- 結衣 Yuiまだだよ。大翔がやってくれる？Mada dayo. Hiroto ga yatte kureru?Not yet. Hiroto, can you do it?
- 大翔 Hirotoいいよ。浴槽の汚れがひどいな。Ii yo. Yokusō no yogore ga hidoi na.Sure. The bathtub is really dirty.
- 結衣 Yuiお願いね。助かるよ。Onegai ne. Tasukaru yo.Please do. That helps a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bathtub” translations and entries 浴槽, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
