wash, clean
On'yomi (音読み)
- セン
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- あら.う
About this kanji
The kanji "洗" primarily means "to wash" or "to clean." It is often used as a verb, read as "あら.う," meaning to wash something directly. In compound words, it frequently appears as "洗濯" (せんたく), which means "laundry"; "洗面" (せんめん), referring to "washing one's face"; and "洗剤" (せんざい), meaning "detergent," which is used for cleaning. A helpful usage note is that while "洗" can refer to any washing action, its specific compounds often indicate the context of the cleaning, such as clothes or personal hygiene. Understanding this kanji can greatly enhance your vocabulary related to daily chores.
Built from
Example sentences
私は毎日手を洗います。
I wash my hands every day.
Meanings across languages
- English
- wash, clean
- Tiếng Việt
- rửa, dọn dẹp
- 日本語
- 洗う, 掃除する
- 한국어
- 씻다, 청소하다
- 中文
- 洗, 清洁
- id
- mencuci, membersihkan
- th
- ล้าง, ทำความสะอาด
- es
- lavar, limpiar
- fr
- laver, nettoyer
- de
- waschen, reinigen
- pt
- lavar, limpar
Common compounds
- 洗濯せんたくlaundry, washing
- 洗面せんめんwashing one's face
- 洗剤せんざいdetergent, cleaning agent
Want to actually learn this kanji?
The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.