洗せん濯たく

せ

ん

た

く

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

洗濯する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Meanings

General term for washing clothes and other fabrics. Used as a noun and with する as a transitive verb.

relaxation; rejuvenation; washing away of worries

Figurative use, often in the set phrase 命の洗濯 (いのちのせんたく), meaning a refreshing break that washes away fatigue or stress. Rare outside this phrase.

洗せん濯たく物ものを干ほすto hang out the laundry to dry
晴はれた日ひに洗せん濯たく物ものを庭にわに干ほした。
I hung the laundry out in the yard on a sunny day.
洗せん濯たく機きで〈物もの〉を洗あらうto wash something in the washing machine
洗せん濯たく機きでシャツを洗あらった。
I washed the shirts in the washing machine.
洗せん濯たくに出だすto send (clothes) out to be laundered
スーツを洗せん濯たくに出だした。
I sent my suit out to be cleaned.

命いのちの洗せん濯たくtaking a break from daily grind; recharging one's spirits; kicking back
鬼おにのいぬまに洗せん濯たくwhen the cat's away, the mice will play; taking a break while the boss is out; doing what one wants when alone

洗せん浄じょう sense 1
洗浄 is a more technical or clinical term for cleaning (e.g. industrial or medical washing), while 洗濯 specifically means doing laundry at home.
クリーニングN4sense 1
クリーニング usually means professional dry cleaning, whereas 洗濯 refers to ordinary home laundry.
洗あらい
洗濯 refers specifically to washing clothes or laundry, while 洗い is a broader, more general term for washing anything.
ドライクリーニングN1
洗濯 refers to ordinary laundry washed with water, while ドライクリーニング specifically uses chemical solvents for delicate fabrics.

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ランドリー
洗濯 is the native, everyday word for doing laundry, while ランドリー specifically evokes a laundromat or laundry service.
洗あらうN5
洗濯する is used specifically for washing clothes/laundry, while 洗う is the general verb usable for hands, dishes, cars, etc.

洗せん濯たく機きN5
洗濯 means the act of doing laundry, while 洗濯機 is the machine that performs that act; they share kanji but are grammatically different (noun vs. noun for an appliance).
掃そう除じN5
掃除 refers to cleaning a room or object, whereas 洗濯 specifically means doing laundry, and beginners often mix up these household-chore terms.
洗せん車しゃ
洗車 and 洗濯 both share the kanji 洗 and mean 'to wash', but 洗車 refers to washing a car while 洗濯 refers to washing clothes.

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洗せん濯たく物ものN4
洗濯物 and 洗濯 share the same kanji, but 洗濯 is the act of washing clothes while 洗濯物 is the actual laundry (the clothes themselves).
選せん択たくN3
選択 (choice) and 洗濯 (laundry) are pronounced identically as せんたく but written with completely different kanji and meanings.

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洗濯Usage96%
- せんたく
  Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency word.
- せんだく
  out-dated reading
洗せんたくUsage2%
search-only kanji form
Search-only form for learners who may not know the second kanji.
せんたくUsage2%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially for the laundry sense.
センタクUsage<1%
せんだく
out-dated reading

Compound of 洗 (wash) and 濯 (rinse/launder). The figurative sense comes from the idea of washing away mental fatigue.