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汚染 (おせん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N3 Freq. Frequency Top 5,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb, intransitive verb
pollution ; contamination
Broadly used for environmental pollution (air, water, soil) and contamination by harmful substances, radiation, or germs. Can be used as a noun or with する as a transitive/intransitive verb.
工こう
場じょう
の
排はい
水すい
が
川かわ
を
汚お
染せん
し
た
。
The factory's wastewater contaminated the river.
Kanji 汚 dirty, pollute, disgrace Similar words 公こう 害がい 公害 specifically refers to pollution as a public nuisance or environmental hazard caused by industrial activity, often with legal implications. 汚染 is the broader term for contamination.
汚よご す 汚す is a general verb for making something dirty or staining, while 汚染 is more formal and technical, used for contamination by harmful agents.
Etymology Compound of 汚 (お, 'dirty, defile') and 染 (せん, 'dye, stain, infect'). The combination conveys the idea of being tainted or contaminated by an undesirable substance.