Japanese word

掃除

Pronunciation

Romajisōji

Meaning

  • nouncleaning

Example

毎日、部屋を掃除します。mai nichi heya o sō ji shi ma su

I clean my room every day.

Illustration for 掃除 (cleaning)

More examples

毎朝、部屋を掃除します。mai asa heya o sō ji shi ma su

I clean my room every morning.

掃除の後で、手を洗います。sō ji no ato de te o ara i ma su

I wash my hands after cleaning.

Core concept

Refers to the process of making a place clean by taking away dirt, dust, and other unwanted material.

Common phrases

  • 掃除をするsō ji o su ru

    clean

  • 掃除の時間sō ji no ji kan

    cleaning time

  • 掃除の後sō ji no ato

    after cleaning

Similar words

大掃除daisōji: A complete cleaning of a home or other place, often done before a special event or season.
清掃seisō: The process of cleaning a place, especially as regular or organized work.

Definition in Japanese

ごみやほこりなどを取り去り、場所や物を清潔な状態にすること。go mi ya ho ko ri na do o to ri sa ri ba sho ya mono o sei ketsu na jō tai ni su ru ko to

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 掃除 (sōji) joins 掃 (sō, "sweep") with 除 (jo, "remove"), expressing the removal of dirt.

Usage tips

  • The noun 掃除 (sōji) is commonly followed by する (suru), forming 掃除する (sōji suru) rather than requiring a separate verb for cleaning.

Other meanings

  • dustingnoun
  • scrubbingnoun
  • sweepingnoun

Related words

  • 掃除するsōjisurucleanverb

Word lists with this word