ほこり
hokori
The English word 'dust' is translated into Japanese as ほこり (hokori).
ほこり refers to fine, dry particles. It is frequently written using the kanji 埃. You can use the suffix だらけ with ほこり to create the expression ほこりだらけ, which means something is covered in or full of dust.
Meaning: fine, dry particles (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
hokori
Did you know?
- The phrase ちりも積もれば山となる literally means 'even dust, if piled up, becomes a mountain' and is used to say that small efforts lead to big results.
- The word ほこり is a homophone for the word meaning 'pride'. Although they sound identical, the version for 'pride' is usually written with a different kanji, 誇り.
- The phrase ほこりを払う ('to brush away dust') can be used metaphorically to mean reviving an old tradition or bringing back a forgotten skill.
Examples in context
- 机はほこりだらけだ。The desk is covered with dust.This sentence is useful for describing a surface that is covered with ほこり.Tatoeba #11394599 by small_snow, translation #20533 by Eldad
- 彼女はほこりを払った。She brushed away the dust.This sentence is useful for describing the action of brushing away ほこり.Tatoeba #91541 by bunbuku, translation #312172 by CK
- 風でほこりが舞っていた。Dust was blowing in the wind.This sentence is useful for describing ほこり blowing in the wind.Tatoeba #84029 by bunbuku, translation #319687 by CK
- 風が吹くと、ちりが舞いますWhen the wind blows, the dust dances.
- 灰色の粉は、ほこりと呼ばれますGray powder is called dust.
- 住まいの隅々に綺麗を心がけて、ちりを撃退しましょうLet's aim for cleanliness in every corner of our homes and keep the dust away.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are cleaning their living room.
- 結衣 Yui棚の上にほこりがたまっているよ。Tana no ue ni hokori ga tamatte iru yo.Dust is accumulating on top of the shelf.
- 健太 Kentaすぐに拭き取るね。Sugu ni fukitoru ne.I'll wipe it off right away.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとう、助かるわ。Arigatou, tasukaru wa.Thanks, that helps.
- 健太 Kenta掃除機もかけておくよ。Soujiki mo kakete oku yo.I'll vacuum the floor too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ほこり, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
