洗
洗 — Wash
wash, inquire into, probe
On’yomiセン (sen)
Kun’yomiあらう (arau)
Stroke order (9 strokes)
Watch the strokes draw themselves in the correct order — numbers mark where each stroke starts. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA).
Common words using 洗
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 洗濯 | せんたく sentaku | washing; laundry; relaxation |
| 洗剤 | せんざい senzai | detergent; cleanser; cleaning agent |
| 洗浄 | せんじょう senjou | washing; cleansing; cleaning |
| 洗濯機 | せんたくき sentakuki | washing machine; (clothes) washer |
| 洗い上げる | あらいあげる araiageru | to finish washing; to wash well; to investigate thoroughly |
| 洗礼 | せんれい senrei | baptism; christening; initiation (into a society, group, etc.) |
Study notes
洗 is a JLPT N3 kanji written with 9 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 6), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #1168 of the 2,500 most frequent kanji in newspapers. On’yomi (音読み) are Chinese-derived readings mostly used in compound words; kun’yomi (訓読み) are native Japanese readings, with any highlighted part written in hiragana after the kanji (okurigana).
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