A1 Collocation 中性

皿を洗う

sara o arau

Wash dishes

Phrase in 30 Seconds

The standard Japanese way to say 'wash the dishes' after a meal.

  • Means: To clean plates and cutlery using water and soap.
  • Used in: Daily home life, part-time jobs, and helping friends.
  • Don't confuse: '{洗|あら}う' (wash) with '{磨|みが}く' (polish/brush).
🍽️ + 🧼 + 💧 = {皿|さら}を{洗|あら}う

Explanation at your level:

This is a very basic phrase. '{皿|さら}' means plate. '{洗|あら}う' means wash. Use it to talk about your daily chores. For example: 'I wash dishes every day.' It uses simple grammar with the particle 'o'.
At this level, you can use the phrase in different tenses. You can say you 'want to wash' ({洗|あら}いたい) or 'must wash' ({洗|あら}わなければならない). It's useful for describing your routine or asking for help in the kitchen.
You can now use the phrase in complex sentences. For example, 'While washing the dishes, I listen to music.' ({皿|さら}を{洗|あら}いながら、{音楽|おんがく}を{聞|き}きます). You also understand the difference between '{皿|さら}を{洗|あら}う' and '{片付|かたづ}ける'.
You understand the nuances of register. You might use '{食器|しょっき}を{洗|あら}う' in a business or formal context. You can also discuss the social implications of household labor division using this phrase in debates or essays.
You can analyze the etymology of the verb '{洗|あら}う' and its connection to purification rituals. You recognize the phrase in literature and can use it metaphorically to describe 'clearing the slate' in certain idiomatic contexts.
You possess a near-native grasp of the phrase's collocations and its place within the broader Japanese 'cleaning culture.' You can discuss the phonological shifts of the verb and its historical development from Old Japanese to the modern day.

意思

To clean plates, bowls, and other eating utensils.

🌍

文化背景

Students are responsible for cleaning their own lunch trays, fostering a sense of community service. The 'araiba' (sink area) is often kept meticulously clean as a point of pride. Dishwashing is seen as a foundational skill for apprentices in traditional Japanese hospitality. Many Japanese households use 'acrylic sponges' that allow washing dishes with minimal detergent to protect water quality.

💡

Use the Te-form

When asking someone to do it, '{洗|あら}って' is the most common casual way.

⚠️

Don't forget the 'o'

Beginners often skip the particle, but '{皿|さら}を{洗|あら}う' is the correct full form.

意思

To clean plates, bowls, and other eating utensils.

💡

Use the Te-form

When asking someone to do it, '{洗|あら}って' is the most common casual way.

⚠️

Don't forget the 'o'

Beginners often skip the particle, but '{皿|さら}を{洗|あら}う' is the correct full form.

🎯

Learn 'Araimono'

Using '{洗|あら}い{物|もの}' makes you sound much more like a native speaker when referring to the chore.

💬

The 'Araiba' Job

If you see a job for 'Araiba', it means you will be washing dishes all day!

自我测试

Fill in the missing particle and verb in the polite form.

{私|わたし}は{毎日|まいにち}{皿|さら}( ) ( )。

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案： を / {洗|あら}います

The particle 'o' marks the object, and 'araimasu' is the polite form.

Which sentence means 'Please wash the dishes'?

Choose the correct request.

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案： {皿|さら}を{洗|あら}ってください。

'~te kudasai' is the standard way to make a polite request.

Complete the dialogue.

A: {皿|さら}を{洗|あら}いましょうか？ B: ( )。

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案： はい、お{願|ねが}いします

When someone offers help, 'Hai, onegaishimasu' is the natural polite response.

Match the phrase to the situation: You are at a job interview for a kitchen role.

Which phrase is most appropriate?

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案： {皿洗|さらあら}いの{経験|けいけん}があります。

This uses the noun form and formal 'arimasu' to state experience.

🎉 得分： /4

视觉学习工具

Kitchen Chores

🧼

Washing

  • • {皿|さら}を{洗|あら}う
  • • {野菜|やさい}を{洗|あら}う
🧹

Tidying

  • • {片付|かたづ}ける
  • • {掃除|そうじ}する

常见问题

10 个问题

No, for hands use '{手|て}を{洗|あら}う'.

In this phrase, 'sara' represents all dishes, including bowls and cups.

'{食器|しょっき}' (shokki) is the more formal term for tableware.

'{皿洗|さらあら}いは{嫌|きら}いです' (Sara-arai wa kirai desu).

Yes, but hand-washing is still very common in smaller apartments.

'Arau' is for cleaning with water; 'migaku' is for polishing or scrubbing.

No, 'soji' is for rooms. It sounds very strange for dishes.

Say '{手伝|てつだ}いましょうか？' (Shall I help?) while pointing to the dishes.

Yes, it is the plain/dictionary form of the verb.

It means 'things to be washed,' referring to the pile of dirty dishes.

相关表达

🔗

{食器|しょっき}を{片付|かたづ}ける

similar

To clear/tidy the dishes

🔗

{皿|さら}を{拭|ふ}く

builds on

To dry the dishes

🔄

{洗|あら}い{物|もの}をする

synonym

To do the washing up

🔗

{食洗機|しょくせんき}に{入|い}れる

specialized form

To put in the dishwasher

在哪里用

🏠

After dinner at home

Child: {今日|きょう}のごはん、おいしかった！

Parent: よかった。じゃあ、{皿|さら}を{洗|あら}ってね。

informal
🤝

Helping a friend

Guest: {皿|さら}を{洗|あら}うのを{手伝|てつだ}いましょうか？

Host: ありがとうございます！お{願|ねが}いします。

neutral
💼

Restaurant job interview

Manager: {皿|さら}を{洗|あら}う{仕事|しごと}はできますか？

Applicant: はい、{皿洗|さらあら}いの{経験|けいけん}があります。

formal
😠

Roommate conflict

Roommate A: また{皿|さら}を{洗|あら}っていないの？

Roommate B: ごめん、あとで{洗|あら}うよ。

informal
⛺

Camping trip

Friend A: {川|かわ}で{皿|さら}を{洗|あら}ってきます。

Friend B: あ、{洗剤|せんざい}を{忘|わす}れないでね。

neutral
🏫

School lunch (Kyushoku)

Teacher: みんな、{自分|じぶん}の{皿|さら}を{洗|あら}いましょう。

Student: はい、わかりました！

neutral

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'SARA' as a girl washing a 'plate', and 'ARAU' sounds like 'A-ROU' (a row) of bubbles.

Visual Association

Imagine a stack of shiny white plates (sara) being scrubbed by a giant blue wave (arau) of soapy water.

Rhyme

Sara o arau, clean them now!

Story

In a small Japanese kitchen, a boy named Sara wanted to help. He took a sponge and started to 'arau' (wash) everything in sight until the kitchen sparkled like the sea.

Word Web

{皿|さら} (plate){洗|あら}う (wash){洗剤|せんざい} (detergent){台所|だいどころ} (kitchen){食器|しょっき} (tableware){洗|あら}い{物|もの} (washing up){スポンジ|すぽんじ} (sponge)

挑战

Next time you finish a meal, say '{皿|さら}を{洗|あら}います' out loud before you start cleaning.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Lavar los platos

Japanese has a specific verb for laundry.

French moderate

Faire la vaisselle

French uses 'do' instead of 'wash'.

German moderate

Geschirr spülen

German uses a specific verb 'spülen'.

Arabic high

غسل الأطباق (ghasl al-atbaq)

Grammatical gender of 'plates' affects the sentence in Arabic.

Chinese high

洗碗 (xǐ wǎn)

Focus on 'bowls' vs 'plates'.

Korean partial

설거지하다 (seolgeojihada)

Korean uses a single specialized verb.

Portuguese high

Lavar a louça

Uses a collective noun for dishes.

English high

Wash the dishes

English 'dishes' is more plural-focused than 'sara'.

Easily Confused

皿を洗う 对比 {皿|さら}を{磨|みが}く

Learners might think 'polish' and 'wash' are interchangeable.

Use 'arau' for soap and water; 'migaku' for scrubbing hard or polishing silver.

皿を洗う 对比 {服|ふく}を{洗|あら}う

Using 'arau' for clothes is grammatically okay but less natural than 'sentaku suru'.

Always use 'sentaku' for laundry.

常见问题 (10)

No, for hands use '{手|て}を{洗|あら}う'.

In this phrase, 'sara' represents all dishes, including bowls and cups.

'{食器|しょっき}' (shokki) is the more formal term for tableware.

'{皿洗|さらあら}いは{嫌|きら}いです' (Sara-arai wa kirai desu).

Yes, but hand-washing is still very common in smaller apartments.

'Arau' is for cleaning with water; 'migaku' is for polishing or scrubbing.

No, 'soji' is for rooms. It sounds very strange for dishes.

Say '{手伝|てつだ}いましょうか？' (Shall I help?) while pointing to the dishes.

Yes, it is the plain/dictionary form of the verb.

It means 'things to be washed,' referring to the pile of dirty dishes.

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