洗

JLPT N3

wash

Readings

On’yomi: セン (sen)

Kun’yomi: あら(う) (ara(u))

• あら(う) – to wash, to cleanse

Structure

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Detailed Explanation

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Mnemonic

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Etymology

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Visual Tip

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Vocabulary

洗う

あらう

wash

洗濯

せんたく

laundry

洗面

せんめん

washbasin

洗剤

せんざい

detergent

洗車

せんしゃ

car wash

Example Sentences

手を洗います。

てをあらいます。

I wash my hands.

洗濯します。

せんたくします。

I do laundry.

洗面です。

せんめんです。

It is washbasin.

洗剤です。

せんざいです。

It is detergent.

洗車します。

せんしゃします。

I wash the car.

Cultural Note

🪷 In Japan, washing and purification are both practical and spiritual. Before entering shrines, people perform 手水（てみず）, washing hands and rinsing the mouth to purify themselves. The kanji 洗 appears in both everyday and sacred contexts — from 洗濯 (laundry) to 洗心 (“purify the heart”).