Translation guide
Grime refers to a layer of dirt, soot, or oily residue that builds up on surfaces, especially in urban or industrial settings. It is thicker and more ingrained than ordinary dust. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is 汚れ (yogore), but more specific words exist for sticky or ingrained dirt.
To refer to a layer of dirt, filth, or grime on surfaces, skin, or objects.
The most common and general word for dirt, filth, or grime. It can refer to any kind of soiling, from light dust to heavy grime.
壁に黒い汚れがついている。
There's black grime on the wall.
手の汚れを落とす。
I wash the grime off my hands.
Specifically refers to grime or dirt that accumulates on the body, often mixed with sweat and dead skin cells. It can also mean grime on objects in a more sticky sense.
風呂で体の垢を落とす。
I scrub the grime off my body in the bath.
Oily grime or grease stains, often found in kitchens or on machinery.
換気扇の油汚れがひどい。
The grease grime on the exhaust fan is terrible.
Soot or black grime from smoke or fire, often found in chimneys or after a fire.
暖炉の煤を掃除する。
I clean the soot grime from the fireplace.
To emphasize that the dirt is deeply embedded, sticky, or hard to remove.
Literally 'stuck-on grime', used for dirt that is caked or baked onto a surface and difficult to remove.
コンロのこびりついた汚れを落とすのは大変だ。
It's tough to remove the baked-on grime from the stove.
Persistent or stubborn grime that doesn't come off easily.
この洗剤はしつこい汚れによく効く。
This detergent works well on stubborn grime.
汚れ (yogore) is the broadest term for any kind of dirt or grime. 垢 (aka) is specifically body grime or sticky dirt. 煤 (susu) is soot or black grime from smoke. Use 汚れ unless you need to be specific.
窓の汚れを拭く。
I wipe the grime off the window.
耳の垢を取る。
I remove earwax (ear grime).
煙突の煤が落ちてきた。
Soot grime fell from the chimney.
The English word 'grime' also refers to a genre of electronic music. In Japanese, this is usually referred to as グライム (guraimu), a loanword. This entry does not cover that meaning.
窓の汚れがひどかった。
The grime on the windows was thick.
彼は顔の汚れを拭いた。
He wiped the grime from his face.