Translation guide
The English word 'clean' covers a wide range of meanings, from physical cleanliness to moral purity, completeness, and smoothness. This guide organizes the most useful Japanese expressions by intended meaning, helping learners avoid common literal translation errors.
Describing something free from dirt, stains, or mess.
The most common and versatile word for 'clean' in the sense of not dirty. It can also mean 'beautiful' or 'tidy'.
この部屋はきれいですね。
This room is clean, isn't it?
手をきれいに洗ってください。
Please wash your hands clean.
Means 'clean' with an emphasis on hygiene and sanitation. Often used for personal cleanliness, medical settings, or public health.
清潔なタオルを使ってください。
Please use a clean towel.
このレストランはとても清潔です。
This restaurant is very clean.
Literally 'not dirty'. Used when you want to emphasize the absence of dirt, but it's less common than きれい.
このシャツはまだ汚れていない。
This shirt is still clean.
The action of removing dirt or mess.
The general verb for cleaning a room, house, or space. It implies tidying up and removing dirt.
週末に家を掃除します。
I clean the house on weekends.
部屋を掃除しなさい。
Clean your room.
Means 'to wash'. Use for cleaning objects with water, like dishes, hands, or clothes.
お皿を洗ってください。
Please wash the dishes.
手を洗った？
Did you wash your hands?
Means 'to wipe'. Use for cleaning surfaces with a cloth or paper.
テーブルを拭いてくれる？
Can you wipe the table?
Means 'to tidy up' or 'put away'. Focuses on organizing and decluttering rather than removing dirt.
Free from corruption, guilt, or illegal activity.
A loanword from English, often used in contexts like 'clean energy', 'clean record', or 'clean game' (fair play).
彼はクリーンな選手だ。
He is a clean athlete (no doping).
クリーンエネルギーを推進する。
Promote clean energy.
Means 'innocent' or 'clean' in the sense of being free from suspicion or guilt. Often used in legal or formal contexts.
Refers to integrity and honesty, often used for politicians or public figures. Implies clean hands in a moral sense.
Done fully, without leaving anything behind; a clean sweep, clean break, etc.
An adverb meaning 'completely' or 'entirely'. Often used with verbs like 忘れる (forget) or なくなる (disappear) to express a clean state.
約束をすっかり忘れていた。
I completely forgot about the appointment. (clean forgot)
雪がすっかり溶けた。
The snow has completely melted. (a clean melt)
An emphatic adverb meaning 'completely' or 'cleanly', often with a nuance of relief or freshness. Used with verbs like 忘れる or なくなる.
Using きれいに as an adverb before a verb can mean doing something completely or neatly, like a clean cut or clean removal.
紙をきれいに半分に切った。
I cut the paper cleanly in half.
汚れをきれいに落とした。
I removed the stain completely. (got it clean off)
Having a neat, sharp edge or surface; a clean cut, clean lines.
Again, きれい is versatile. When describing a cut or line, it means 'neat' or 'clean'.
きれいな直線を描いてください。
Please draw a clean straight line.
Often used for a clean, uncluttered appearance or a refreshing feeling. Can describe design, appearance, or even a clean taste.
Clean water, clean air, clean fuel, etc.
Works for clean water, air, etc., meaning free from pollution or impurities.
きれいな水を飲みたい。
I want to drink clean water.
Means 'pure' or 'clean', often used in technical contexts like air purifiers or clean rooms.
Clean joke, clean language.
Literally 'not vulgar'. The most straightforward way to say a joke or language is clean.
彼のジョークは下品じゃなかった。
His joke was clean.
Can be used for language or jokes that are clean, but it's less direct. Often implies 'pure' or 'innocent'.
きれいな言葉遣いをしなさい。
Use clean language.
Clean driving record, clean criminal record.
Literally 'no criminal record'. The standard way to say someone has a clean record.
彼は前科がない。
He has a clean record.
Used for driving records: 'no violations'. A clean driving record.
彼女は交通違反がない。
She has a clean driving record.
While きれい is the most common translation, it doesn't fit all contexts. For actions, use specific verbs like 掃除する (clean a room), 洗う (wash), or 拭く (wipe). For moral purity, クリーン or 潔白 may be better. For completeness, use adverbs like すっかり or きれいに.
掃除する focuses on removing dirt and dust (cleaning), while 片付ける focuses on organizing and putting things away (tidying up). In English, 'clean your room' often includes both, but in Japanese, you might need both verbs: 部屋を掃除して片付ける.
お風呂を掃除しないと。
I need to clean the bathroom.
彼は交通違反がありません。
He has a clean driving record.
過去ときれいに手を切る。
Make a clean break with the past.
おもちゃを片付けなさい。
Clean up your toys.
彼の潔白が証明された。
His innocence (clean record) was proven.
清廉な政治家は少ない。
There are few clean (honest) politicians.
嫌なことはきれいさっぱり忘れた。
I've completely forgotten all the unpleasant things. (clean forgotten)
このデザインはすっきりしている。
This design is clean and simple.
すっきりした味のビール。
A beer with a clean, crisp taste.
清浄な空気が必要です。
Clean air is necessary.