便べん所じょ

べ

ん

じょ

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

A common word for a toilet or restroom, but it can sound more direct, old-fashioned, or less refined than トイレ or お手洗い. Often used straightforwardly for the facility itself, as in 公衆便所.

Usage patterns

便べん所じょに行いくto go to the toilet
ちょっと便べん所じょに行いってくる。
I'm just going to go to the toilet.
便べん所じょを借かりるto use (someone else's) restroom
すみません、便べん所じょを借かりてもいいですか。
Excuse me, may I use your restroom?
便べん所じょの水みずを流ながすto flush the toilet
使つかったら便べん所じょの水みずを流ながしてください。
Please flush the toilet after use.

Kanji

便convenience, facility, excrement
所place, extent

Related words

トイレN5
トイレ is the common, neutral loanword for a toilet, while 便所 sounds blunter or old-fashioned in everyday conversation.
洗せん面めん所じょN2
洗面所 properly refers to a washroom with sinks and may not include a toilet, unlike 便所 which specifically means the toilet itself.
トイレット
便所 is a blunt, old-fashioned native Japanese word for a toilet, while トイレット is an old-fashioned English loanword that is rarely used by itself.
ラバトリー
便所 is a blunt, old-fashioned word for toilet, whereas ラバトリー has a modern, service-industry feel.
お手て洗あらいN5
便所 is a blunt, old-fashioned word for toilet that many speakers avoid, while お手洗い is the preferred polite euphemism.

Politeness

お手て洗あらいpolite 丁寧語N5
お手洗い is the polite way to refer to the same facility as 便所, and is preferred when asking someone politely where the restroom is.

Word family· 16

便べん所じょ神がみ
toilet god; guardian deity of the privy
便べん所じょ虫むし
toilet insect; bugs found in toilets
便べん所じょ飯めし
eating lunch alone in a toilet stall
大だい便べん所じょ
toilet (for defecation)
女おんな便べん所じょ
women's toilet; ladies' restroom

Show 5 more

小しょう便べん所じょ
urinal
男おとこ便べん所じょ
men's toilet; men's restroom
辻つじ便べん所じょ
public lavatory
仮か設せつ便べん所じょ
portable toilet; temporary toilet
共きょう同どう便べん所じょ
public toilet; shared lavatory

See all 16 in Explore →

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese compound written with 便, associated here with relieving oneself or bodily waste, and 所, meaning 'place'. The spelling transparently indicates a place for toilet use.