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清潔 (せいけつ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N3 Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Meanings 1
na-adjective, noun
clean ; hygienic ; sanitary
Used for physical cleanliness and hygiene: clean clothes, rooms, hands, equipment, or a sanitary environment. Common patterns include 清潔な, 清潔にする, and 清潔に保つ.
清せい
潔けつ
に
保たも
っ
て
いる
。
I always keep the kitchen counter clean.
2
na-adjective, noun
pure ; virtuous ; immaculate
Figurative use for moral or emotional purity, innocence, or an untainted impression. It is less everyday than the hygiene sense and often sounds somewhat elevated or written.
Written forms 清せい 潔けつ Usage 99%
Standard common kanji spelling for this noun and na-adjective.
せいけつ Usage 1%
Similar words きれい A broader everyday word meaning clean, pretty, or neat; 清潔 focuses more specifically on cleanliness, hygiene, or moral purity.
衛えい 生せい 的てき Means hygienic or sanitary in a more technical or practical sense; 清潔 can describe both the hygienic state and the general clean impression.
不ふ 潔けつ The direct opposite for dirty, unsanitary, or morally unclean.
純じゅん 潔けつ Refers to purity or chastity more narrowly; 清潔 is broader and can be physical, hygienic, or figuratively pure.
Etymology A Sino-Japanese compound written with 清, associated with clarity and purity, and 潔, associated with cleanliness and purity. The spelling transparently matches the meanings 'clean' and 'pure.'
