Translation guide
A broom is a cleaning tool with a long handle and bristles used for sweeping floors. In Japanese, the most common word is ほうき, but there are also specific terms for different types of brooms and related actions.
The physical object used to sweep floors, typically with a long handle and bristles.
The general word for a broom. Can be written as 箒 in kanji, but hiragana is common.
ほうきで床を掃く。
I sweep the floor with a broom.
新しいほうきを買った。
I bought a new broom.
Kanji form of ほうき. Used in written Japanese or formal contexts.
箒で庭を掃く。
Sweep the garden with a broom.
A specific type of broom made from natural materials, often used in traditional settings.
A broom made from hemp palm fibers, known for its durability and traditional use.
棕櫚ほうきは長持ちする。
A hemp palm broom lasts a long time.
A bamboo broom, often used outdoors for sweeping leaves.
竹ぼうきで落ち葉を掃く。
Sweep fallen leaves with a bamboo broom.
The act of using a broom to clean.
The verb 'to sweep'. Often used with ほうきで (with a broom).
毎朝、玄関を掃く。
I sweep the entrance every morning.
ほうきで部屋を掃いてください。
Please sweep the room with a broom.
The act of sweeping as a cleaning task. Literally 'sweeping cleaning'.
Metaphorical or symbolic uses of 'broom', such as in phrases or cultural references.
Proverb meaning 'A new broom sweeps clean' (new people or things work well).
新しいほうきはよく掃くというから、新人に期待しよう。
They say a new broom sweeps clean, so let's expect good things from the newcomer.
Literally 'broom star', meaning comet. From the tail resembling a broom.
夜空にほうき星が見えた。
I saw a comet in the night sky.
In modern Japanese homes, vacuum cleaners (掃除機, そうじき) are more common than brooms for indoor cleaning. ほうき is often used for outdoor areas or traditional settings.
掃き掃除をしてから、拭き掃除をする。
After sweeping, I do the wiping (mopping).