Translation guide
The English verb 'cleanse' often implies a thorough, purifying, or ritual cleaning, distinct from everyday 'clean'. This guide helps learners express these nuances in Japanese.
To make something pure or free from contaminants, often with a ritual or deep-cleaning connotation.
The most direct equivalent for spiritual or ritual purification. Often used in religious or ceremonial contexts.
神社で手を清める。
Purify your hands at the shrine.
心を清めるために滝に打たれる。
Stand under a waterfall to cleanse the spirit.
Often used for purification of water, air, or the environment, as well as spiritual cleansing. More technical than 清める.
この装置は水を浄化する。
This device cleanses water.
瞑想で心を浄化する。
Cleanse the mind through meditation.
Means 'to wash' or 'to clean' thoroughly, often used for medical or mechanical cleaning. Less spiritual nuance.
傷口を洗浄する。
Cleanse the wound.
To remove toxins from the body, often through diet or special treatments.
Loanword from English 'detox', widely understood and used in health and wellness contexts.
週末にデトックスするために断食する。
I fast on weekends to cleanse my body.
A more formal or descriptive phrase meaning 'to purify the inside of the body'.
このジュースは体内を浄化する効果がある。
This juice has a cleansing effect on the body.
To remove dirt, oil, and makeup from the skin, often as part of a beauty routine.
Standard term for removing makeup and cleansing the face in skincare.
毎晩、クレンジングしてから寝る。
I cleanse my face every night before bed.
Literally 'wash face', used for general face washing, not necessarily makeup removal.
朝と夜に洗顔する。
I cleanse my face morning and night.
To remove unwanted or malicious elements from data or a computer system.
General term for 'remove' or 'eliminate', used for viruses, malware, or bad data.
ウイルスを除去する。
Cleanse the system of viruses.
Specifically means 'exterminate' or 'eliminate' pests or malware.
マルウェアを駆除する。
Cleanse the computer of malware.
掃除する (そうじする) means 'to clean' in the sense of tidying up a room or wiping surfaces. It lacks the purifying or deep-cleaning nuance of 'cleanse'. Use it only for physical cleaning of spaces.
部屋を掃除する。
Clean the room.