Japanese verbs: cleaning with 掃除する

The idea

掃除そうじする is a する verb meaning to clean or tidy an area. Mark the area with を: 部屋へやを掃除そうじします. Its て form is 掃除そうじして; its polite past is 掃除そうじしました.

Examples

• 朝あさ、部屋へやを掃除そうじします。I clean the room in the morning.
• 窓まどを開あけて、部屋へやを掃除そうじします。I open the window and clean the room.
• 昨日きのう、台所だいどころを掃除そうじしました。Yesterday I cleaned the kitchen.
• 今日きょうは部屋へやを掃除そうじしません。I will not clean the room today.
• 友達ともだちといっしょに教室きょうしつを掃除そうじします。I clean the classroom with a friend.
• ここを掃除そうじしてください。Please clean here.

Watch out

Do not confuse cleaning a room with washing dishes: use 洗あらう for washing an object. You can also say 部屋へやの掃除そうじをします, but not two を in the same construction.

Try it yourself

1. Write the polite non-past form: ＿。（掃除そうじする→ます）

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   掃除します

   掃除そうじします is the polite non-past of 掃除そうじする; context tells whether it refers to the present or future.

2. Write the て form: ＿。（掃除そうじする→て）

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   掃除して

   掃除そうじして is the て form of 掃除そうじする. It can connect this action to another clause.

3. Choose the option in brackets to complete the sentence: 部屋へや＿掃除そうじします。（を／に）

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   を

   を marks the room as the area being cleaned.

Use it today

Make a sentence with 掃除そうじする, change it to the polite past and check its particles against the examples.