Translation guide
The process of making something white or lighter in color, especially through chemical means or exposure to sunlight. This guide covers common Japanese expressions for bleaching hair, clothes, and other materials.
bleaching hair
bleaching clothes
To lighten or decolorize hair using chemicals.
Standard phrase for bleaching hair. Literally 'to decolorize hair'. Used in salons and everyday conversation.
I had my hair bleached at the salon.
Uses the loanword 'bleach'. Very common in casual contexts and among younger people.
I damaged my hair when I bleached it.
Noun meaning 'decolorization' or 'bleaching'. Often used in compound words.
To whiten or remove stains from textiles using bleach.
General verb for bleaching fabrics. Often used with laundry.
Natural lightening or fading caused by exposure to the sun.
Describes color fading due to sun exposure. Literally 'color comes out from being sunburned'.
Cosmetic whitening of teeth.
Uses the English loanword 'whitening'. Standard term for cosmetic teeth whitening.
The chemical or industrial process of bleaching materials like paper or wood pulp.
脱色 (だっしょく) is used for removing color from hair or colored liquids, while 漂白 (ひょうはく) is specifically for whitening fabrics or materials. For hair, 脱色 is standard; 漂白 would sound odd.
脱色剤を使うときは注意が必要です。
You need to be careful when using bleaching agents.
When I bleached the white shirt, the yellowing came out.
Bleaching agent or bleach (for laundry). Common household item.
Please add bleach when you do the laundry.
Using the loanword 'bleach' for laundry. Understandable but less common than 漂白剤.
This stain won't come out unless I use bleach.
The curtains faded from the sun.
Passive form meaning 'to be bleached by sunlight'. More formal or written.
This paper is bleached by sunlight.
I got my teeth whitened and gained confidence in my smile.
Literal translation 'to bleach teeth'. Used in dental contexts but less common than ホワイトニング.
You can get your teeth bleached at the dental clinic.
Noun for the bleaching process. Used in technical and industrial contexts.
Chlorine is sometimes used in pulp bleaching.
Decolorization, often used for removing color from liquids or materials.
Decolorization is important in this process.
bleach hair (natural) / bleach hair (unusual)
The loanword ブリーチ is common for hair and sometimes laundry, but in formal or technical contexts, use 脱色 or 漂白. Overusing ブリーチ can sound overly casual or imprecise.