Explore 乾 in everyday situations, from laundry to dry winter air.
The idea
乾 has 11 strokes. In 乾く（かわく） something dries; in 乾かす（かわかす） someone dries something. 乾燥（かんそう） means dryness or drying.
| Japanese word | Reading | Example in context |
|---|---|---|
| 乾く | かわく | The laundry has dried. |
| 乾かす | かわかす | I dry my hair with a hair dryer. |
| 乾燥 | かんそう | The air gets dry in winter. |
Examples
- 洗濯物が乾きました。The laundry has dried.
- 髪をドライヤーで乾かします。I dry my hair with a hair dryer.
- 冬は空気が乾燥します。The air gets dry in winter.
- このタオルはまだ乾いていません。This towel is not dry yet.
- 雨の後、道がすぐに乾きました。After the rain, the road dried quickly.
- 野菜を乾燥させて保存します。I dry vegetables to preserve them.
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Watch out
Do not confuse intransitive 乾く with transitive 乾かす: use が for the thing drying and を for the object being dried.
Try it yourself
「乾く」の読みをひらがなで書いてください。
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かわく
乾く is かわく: the laundry dries by itself.
「乾燥」の読みをひらがなで書いてください。
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かんそう
乾燥 is かんそう, as in dry winter air.
髪を＿かす。［乾／雨］
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乾
乾 completes 乾かす（かわかす）: someone dries an object.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
「乾く」の読みをひらがなで書いてください。
「乾燥」の読みをひらがなで書いてください。
髪を＿かす。［乾／雨］
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write 乾, cover the readings, then make a sentence about something you dry.