Japanese kanji 洗: washing and laundry

The idea

洗 has 9 strokes; follow the linked diagram. The verb 洗う is read あらう; compounds include 洗濯（せんたく）, 洗剤（せんざい） and 洗面所（せんめんじょ）. The object washed takes を.

Examples

• 食事しょくじの前まえに手てを洗あらいます。I wash my hands before a meal.
• 朝あさ、冷つめたい水みずで顔かおを洗あらいます。I wash my face with cold water in the morning.
• 母ははは週末しゅうまつに車くるまを洗あらいます。My mother washes the car on weekends.
• 日曜日にちようびに洗濯せんたくをします。I do the laundry on Sundays.
• 洗剤せんざいを少すこし入いれてください。Please add a little detergent.
• 洗面所せんめんじょにタオルがあります。There is a towel in the washroom.

Watch out

Do not read every 洗 as あら. In compounds it is often せん. 洗濯 means laundry, while 洗剤 is detergent; compare 洗 with 先, which lacks the water component.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 洗う in hiragana.

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   あらう

   洗う is あらう: 手を洗う means to wash one’s hands. Learn the kana ending with the verb.

2. Write the reading of 洗濯 in hiragana.

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   せんたく

   洗濯 is せんたく. 洗濯をする means to do the laundry; the compound uses せん.

3. Choose the missing kanji: ＿剤（せんざい）［洗／先］.

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   洗

   洗 completes 洗剤（せんざい）, detergent. The water component distinguishes it from 先.

Use it today

Write 洗 using the diagram, cover the table, then read 洗う and 洗濯 aloud. Make a sentence about something you wash.