Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Get the Kotomora apps for iOS and Android.

Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides About Support Privacy

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

石鹸 (せっけん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

石せっ鹸けん

せ

っ

け

ん

Common word›JLPTN5›Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

General term for soap, including bar soap, liquid soap, and soap as a substance.

手てを石せっ鹸けんで洗あらってください。

Please wash your hands with soap.

この石せっ鹸けんはいい香かおりがする。

This soap smells nice.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を石せっ鹸けんで洗あらうto wash something with soap
食しょく事じの前まえに石せっ鹸けんで手てを洗あらいましょう。
Let's wash our hands with soap before eating.
石せっ鹸けんを泡あわ立だてるto work soap into a lather
石せっ鹸けんをよく泡あわ立だててから顔かおを洗あらってください。
Please lather the soap well before washing your face.
石せっ鹸けんの匂においがするto smell of soap
彼かれの髪かみは石せっ鹸けんの匂においがした。
His hair smelled of soap.

Kanji

石stone
鹸saltiness
鹼alkaline, alkali, lye

Related words

洗せん剤ざいN3
石鹸 refers to traditional soap made from fats and oils, while 洗剤 usually means synthetic detergent used for laundry or dishes.
シャンプーN4
石鹸 is a general term for soap used on the body or hands, while シャンプー is specifically for washing hair.
ソープ
石鹸 is the native Japanese word for soap and is used in everyday and formal contexts, while ソープ is a loanword often reserved for liquid or Western-style products.

Opposites

合ごう成せい洗せん剤ざい
石鹸 is natural soap made from fats and oils, whereas 合成洗剤 is a chemically manufactured detergent.

Don't confuse with

洗せん浄じょう剤ざい
石鹸 refers specifically to soap made from fats and lye, whereas 洗浄剤 is a general term that includes soap-free synthetic detergents and industrial cleaners.

Counted with

個こN5
The all-purpose counter for small discrete objects, used when no more specific counter applies.
箱はこN5
As a packaged item, soap is also often counted by box when referring to boxed soaps.

Word family· 21

水みず石せっ鹸けん
liquid soap
泡あわ石せっ鹸けん
foam soap
石せっ鹸けん水すい
soapy water

Written forms

石せっ鹸けんUsage34%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
石せっけんUsage40%
Common mixed kanji-kana spelling, often used in product labels and everyday writing.
石せっ鹼けんUsage16%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; 鹼 is a rare variant of 鹸.
せっけん

Etymology

Adopted from Chinese 石鹼, “mineral alkali,” and subsequently established as the Japanese term for soap. 鹸 is the simplified Japanese form of 鹼.

石せっ

けん

玉だま

soap ball · soap bubble

石せっ鹸けん皿ざら

soap dish

Show 5 more

石せっ鹸けん箱ばこ
soap dish; soap box
緑りょく石せっ鹸けん
green soap; medicinal soft soap
カリ石せっ鹸けん
potash soap
化け粧しょう石せっ鹸けん
toilet soap; facial soap; beauty soap
固こ形けい石せっ鹸けん
bar soap; solid soap

See all 21 in Explore →

Usage6%

セッケンUsage4%