お手洗い
otearai[o̞te̞a̠ɾa̠i]
In Japanese, the phrase for lavatory is お手洗い (otearai).
お手洗い refers to a room with a toilet and washbasin for personal hygiene. It is commonly used when asking for the location of a restroom in restaurants, department stores or someone's home.
Which one should you use?
While お手洗い is polite, トイレ is a more direct, common loanword from English used in everyday casual conversation. Additionally, the term benjo is an informal way to say lavatory.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
お手洗い is a polite and socially acceptable way to refer to a restroom in public or formal settings. In contrast, benjo is an informal term.
How do you pronounce it?
otearai
Did you know?
- The phrase お手洗い literally means 'hand washing'. It is used as a polite euphemism to avoid mentioning the toilet directly.
- Many Japanese restrooms feature a 'washlet' or electronic bidet, which is so common that the term 'washlet' is used as a generic name for any electronic toilet seat.
- The honorific prefix お in お手洗い functions as a linguistic buffer to soften the topic and make the inquiry feel more graceful.
Examples in context
- お手洗いはどこですか？Otearai wa doko desu ka?Where is the lavatory?
- お手洗いを探しています。Otearai o sagashite imasu.I am looking for a lavatory.
- お手洗いはあちらです。Otearai wa achira desu.The lavatory is over there.
Example conversation
At a restaurant, a man asks a woman for directions.
- 大翔 Hirotoすみません、お手洗いはどこですか？Sumimasen, otearai wa doko desu ka?Excuse me, where is the lavatory?
- 結衣 Yuiあちらの角を曲がってください。Achira no kado o magatte kudasai.Please turn the corner over there.
- 大翔 Hirotoわかりました、ありがとうございます。Wakarimashita, arigatou gozaimasu.I understand, thank you very much.
- 結衣 Yuiいいえ、どういたしまして。Iie, douitashimashite.No, you're welcome.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry お手洗い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries お手洗い, CC BY-SA 4.0.
