綺き麗れい

〈場ば所しょ〉を綺き麗れいにするto clean up/tidy a place
毎まい週しゅう土ど曜よう日びに部屋へやを綺き麗れいにする。
I clean my room every Saturday.
綺き麗れいに食たべるto eat up completely, leaving nothing behind
子こ供どもは野や菜さいも綺き麗れいに食たべた。
The child ate even the vegetables completely, leaving nothing.
綺き麗れいになるto become pretty/beautiful, or to become clean
彼かの女じょは大人おとなになって綺き麗れいになった。
She grew up and became beautiful.
綺き麗れいに洗あらうto wash something thoroughly clean
手てを綺き麗れいに洗あらってください。
Please wash your hands thoroughly.

Expressions

綺き麗れいかったwas pretty; was beautiful; was clean
月つきが綺き麗れいですねthe moon is beautiful, isn't it?
綺き麗れいな薔薇ばらには棘とげがあるthere is no rose without a thorn; every rose has its thorn

Kanji

綺figured cloth, beautiful
麗lovely, beautiful, graceful
奇strange, strangeness, curiosity

Related words· 10

美うつくしいN4sense 1
美しい is more formal and often describes profound or artistic beauty, while 綺麗 is the everyday word for prettiness or cleanliness.
清せい潔けつN3sense 2
清潔 specifically means hygienic or sanitary, whereas 綺麗 covers general cleanliness and tidiness more broadly.
素す敵てきN4sense 1
素敵 expresses overall admiration or charm (like a nice outfit or idea), while 綺麗 focuses specifically on visual beauty or cleanliness.
かわいいN5sense 1
可愛い describes cuteness or endearing charm, whereas 綺麗 describes elegant or refined beauty, not cuteness.

Show 6 more

シャン
きれい is the ordinary modern word for pretty or beautiful, while シャン is a dated, rarely used loanword with the same meaning.
クリーン
きれい is the everyday, versatile word for clean or pretty, whereas クリーン sounds more technical or modern and is common in loanword compounds like クリーンエネルギー.
プリティ
きれい describes elegant, neat beauty, whereas プリティ conveys a cuter, more charming kind of prettiness.
清きよいN2
綺麗 is a colloquial na-adjective meaning 'clean' or 'beautiful', whereas 清い stresses a deeper moral or spiritual purity rather than mere tidiness.
ビューティフル
きれい is the everyday, casual word for “pretty” or “beautiful,” whereas ビューティフル is a flashier loanword rarely used in ordinary conversation.
清きよらかN1
きれい is the everyday word for 'clean/pretty', while 清らか is more literary and often implies moral or spiritual purity as well.

Opposites

汚きたないN5sense 2
汚い means dirty or ugly, the direct opposite of 綺麗's meanings of clean or beautiful.
ばっちい
きれい means 'clean' and is the natural opposite of ばっちい, which means 'dirty' in child-speak.

Word family

綺き麗れい事ごと
whitewashing; glossing over; lip service · deftly finishing up; putting on the final touches
口くち綺ぎ麗れい
elegant speech; smooth-talking; high-sounding · not gluttonous; moderate in eating
手て綺ぎ麗れい
neatly made; well-finished; tidy
綺き麗れいさび
kirei-sabi; elegant wabi-sabi aesthetic
綺き麗れいどころ
geisha · dressed-up beauty; gorgeous woman
きれいさっぱり
once and for all; completely; thoroughly · spotlessly; cleanly; neatly

Written forms

綺き麗れいUsage29%
Standard kanji spelling, though the word is often written in kana.
きれいUsage58%
Kana spelling is very common and preferred for senses 2 and 3.
キレイUsage11%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling used for emphasis or stylistic effect.
奇き麗れいUsage2%
Uncommon variant kanji form.

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese word from Chinese 綺麗, originally referring to ornate beauty or splendor. In Japanese its meanings broadened from “beautiful” to include “clean,” “neat,” and “completely.”