きれい
kireieveryday
The usual Japanese word for clean is きれい (kirei). A more formal word for hygienic cleanliness is せいけつ (seiketsu).
Meaning: free from dirt (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| きれい | kirei | everyday |
| せいけつ | seiketsu | hygienic |
きれい (kirei) describes rooms, hands, water and clothes. せいけつ (seiketsu) fits hotels, kitchens and hospitals, where cleanliness is a standard.
Which one should you use?
きれい (kirei) also means "beautiful", so a sentence like へやがきれいです (heya ga kirei desu) can mean the room is clean or pretty, depending on context.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "to clean", Japanese uses そうじする (sōji suru) for general cleaning and あらう (arau) for washing.
Did you know?
- Japanese schools have students clean their own classrooms every day, a custom called おそうじ (osōji).
Examples in context
- へやがきれいです。heya ga kirei desu.The room is clean.
- せいけつなホテルです。seiketsu na hoteru desu.It is a clean hotel.
Example conversation
Tom checks into a hotel with his friend Jun.
- Tomへやはどう？heya wa dō?How is the room?
- Junとてもきれいだよ。totemo kirei da yo.It is very clean.
- Tomせいけつでいいね。seiketsu de ii ne.Nice and hygienic.
