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不潔 (ふけつ, fuketsu) Japanese meaning: unclean | Kotomora

不ふ潔けつ

ふ

け

つ

Common word›JLPTN3›Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

na-adjective, noun

unclean; dirty; unsanitary; filthy

Describes physical dirtiness, lack of hygiene, or unsanitary conditions. Often used in medical, public health, or everyday contexts.

不ふ潔けつな

手て

で

食た

べ

物もの

を

触さわ

ら

ない

で

ください

。

Please don't touch food with dirty hands.

この部屋へやは不ふ潔けつだから掃そう除じが必ひつ要ようだ。

This room is filthy, so it needs cleaning.

2

na-adjective, noun

indecent; obscene; immoral; dirty (story, money, etc.)

Used for morally or sexually impure things, such as obscene jokes, dirty money, or indecent behavior. Carries a strong negative judgment.

彼かれは不ふ潔けつな冗じょう談だんばかり言いう。
He always tells dirty jokes.
不ふ潔けつな金かねは受うけ取とれない。
I can't accept dirty money.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉が不ふ潔けつだa place is dirty/unsanitary
このトイレはとても不ふ潔けつだ。
This bathroom is very unsanitary.
不ふ潔けつな話はなしan indecent/dirty story or joke
彼かれはいつも不ふ潔けつな話はなしをして笑わらわせる。
He always tells dirty jokes to make people laugh.
不ふ潔けつな〈物もの〉a dirty/unclean thing (e.g. hands, room)
不ふ潔けつな手てで食たべ物ものを触さわってはいけない。
You shouldn't touch food with dirty hands.
〈物もの〉を不ふ潔けつにするto make something dirty/unsanitary
ゴミを放ほう置ちすると部屋へやを不ふ潔けつにする。
Leaving trash around makes the room unsanitary.

Kanji

不negative, non-, bad
潔undefiled, pure, clean

Related words

汚きたないN5sense 1
汚い is the common, everyday word for dirty in both physical and moral senses, while 不潔 is more formal and often used in medical or ethical contexts.
不ふ衛えい生せい sense 1
不衛生 specifically stresses a lack of hygiene or sanitation, whereas 不潔 covers both physical dirtiness and moral impurity.
不ふ浄じょう
不潔 is the everyday word for something dirty or unsanitary, while 不浄 is more formal and can imply ritual or moral impurity as well as physical dirtiness.
汚けがらわしいN1
不潔 is a neutral, often medical/hygienic term for 'unclean', whereas 汚らわしい expresses a personal feeling of revulsion or contempt.

Opposites

清せい潔けつN3sense 1
清潔 means clean and hygienic, the direct opposite of 不潔 which means dirty and unsanitary.
清せい浄じょう
不潔 means dirty or unhygienic, the direct opposite of the purity described by 清浄.

Don't confuse with

潔けっ白ぱくN1sense 2
潔白 shares the kanji 潔 with 不潔 but means innocent or morally pure, the near-opposite feel despite the similar look.

Word family

不ふ潔けつ恐きょう怖ふ症しょう
mysophobia; germophobia

Written forms

不ふ潔けつUsage99%
Standard kanji spelling; the only written form.
ふけつUsage1%

Etymology

Compound of 不 (fu, 'not') and 潔 (ketsu, 'pure' or 'clean'). The kanji combination directly conveys the meaning of impurity or lack of cleanliness.