洗せん濯たく

せ

ん

た

く

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb

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

。

Can this shirt be washed in a washing machine?

2

noun

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

洗せん浄じょう
洗浄 is more technical and refers to cleaning or washing in general, including industrial or medical contexts, while 洗濯 specifically means laundry.
クリーニング
クリーニング usually refers to dry cleaning or professional cleaning services, whereas 洗濯 is general home laundry.

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