汚い
kitanai[kʲi̥ta̠na̠i]
The English word 'dirty' is translated into Japanese as 汚い (kitanai). Wiktionary also lists 汚れている (yogoreteiru).
Meaning: covered with or containing dirt (adj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 汚い | kitanai | [kʲi̥ta̠na̠i] (narrow) |
| 汚れている | yogoreteiru |
Japanese uses different words for 'dirty' depending on whether you are describing a physical state, a quality or a metaphorical behavior. 汚い is used to describe a quality or state, such as a person's character or a 'dirty trick'. It can also be used metaphorically to describe behavior that is morally . For a purely physical description of something covered in dirt, 汚れている is used.
Which one should you use?
汚い (kitanai) is an adjective used to describe a quality or a characteristic, such as a person's character or a dirty trick. In contrast, 汚れている (yogoreteiru) is used to describe the physical state of being covered in dirt.
How does it change in a sentence?
It is used to indicate that something has become dirty and remains in that state.
How do you pronounce it?
kitanai
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific cultural concept of 'spiritual dirt' called 穢れ (kegare), which is a different kind of 'dirty' that requires ritual purification.
- In Japanese, the word 汚い (kitanai) is frequently used to describe 'bad handwriting'. If someone's writing is messy or hard to read, a Japanese speaker will describe it as 'dirty' rather than 'untidy'.
- While 'dirty' in English often refers to physical grime, using 汚い (kitanai) to describe a person's speech can imply that their language is 'vulgar' or 'obscene'.
Examples in context
- 汚い手口ね。It's a dirty trick.This sentence shows how to use 汚い to describe a 'dirty trick'.Tatoeba #9824240 by small_snow, translation #10196004 by terrywallwork
- 汚い手して。You have dirty hands.This sentence uses 汚い to describe 'dirty hands'.Tatoeba #12296730 by small_snow, translation #10885603 by Miktsoanit
- 足が汚れているよ。Your feet are dirty.This sentence uses 汚れている to describe feet that are 'dirty'.Tatoeba #139877 by bunbuku, translation #274464 by CK
- このシャツはとても汚いです。 (Kono shatsu wa totemo kitanai desu.)This shirt is very dirty.
- 食品衛生法を守るために不潔な状態を避けなければなりません。 (Shokuhin eiseihō o mamoru tame ni fuketsu na jōtai o sakenakereba narimasen.)In order to comply with the Food Sanitation Act, you must avoid unclean conditions.
- 聖なる場所を不浄にしてはいけません。 (Seinaru basho o fujō ni shite wa ikemasen.)You must not defile sacred places.
- 雨に降られたせいで服がよごれた。 (Ame ni furareta sei de fuku ga yogoreta.)My clothes got dirty because of the rain.
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Yui are at home, looking at a messy room.
- 陽太 Yota部屋がすごく汚いよ。Heya ga sugoku kitanai yo.The room is really dirty.
- 結衣 Yuiごめん、後で掃除するね。Gomen, ato de souji suru ne.Sorry, I will clean it up later.
- 陽太 Yota床も汚いから、早くやって。Yuka mo kitanai kara, hayaku yatte.The floor is dirty too, so do it quickly.
- 結衣 Yuiわかった、今やるよ。Wakatta, ima yaru yo.Okay, I'll do it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dirty” translations and entries 汚い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
