掃除

§ Understanding 掃除 (souji)

The Japanese word 掃除 (そうじ - souji) means "cleaning" or "sweeping." It's a very common noun you'll hear and use often in everyday conversation, especially when talking about chores or maintaining tidiness.

Japanese Word

掃除 (そうじ - souji)

Definition

Cleaning; sweeping.

CEFR Level

A2

§ How to use it in a sentence

掃除 (souji) is a noun. This means you'll often see it paired with verbs to form an action. The most common verb to pair it with is する (suru), meaning "to do." So, 掃除する (souji suru) means "to clean" or "to do cleaning."

Let's look at some examples:

You can also use 掃除 directly with nouns to specify what kind of cleaning it is, using the particle の (no).

Here, 大 (oo) means "big" or "large," so 大掃除 (oosouji) specifically refers to a thorough or annual cleaning, like spring cleaning.

§ Related words and phrases

Knowing these related terms will help you understand different types of cleaning and their contexts.

• 掃除機 (そうじき - soujiki): Vacuum cleaner

  掃除機をかける。
  Soujiki o kakeru.
  To vacuum.

  Notice how 掃除機をかける literally means "to apply the vacuum cleaner."

• 部屋の掃除 (へやのそうじ - heya no souji): Room cleaning

  今日は部屋の掃除をする日です。
  Kyou wa heya no souji o suru hi desu.
  Today is the day for room cleaning.

• 掃除当番 (そうじとうばん - souji touban): Cleaning duty/rota

  This is common in schools or workplaces where people take turns cleaning.

  私の掃除当番は水曜日です。
  Watashi no souji touban wa suiyoubi desu.
  My cleaning duty is on Wednesday.

§ Common mistakes to avoid

• Don't confuse 掃除 (souji) with 洗濯 (sentaku - laundry) or 料理 (ryouri - cooking). While all are household chores, they refer to different actions.

• Remember that 掃除 is a noun. If you want to express the action of cleaning, you usually need to add する (suru) after it, turning it into a verb phrase 掃除する (souji suru).

By understanding how to use 掃除 as a noun and with the verb する, you'll be able to talk about cleaning tasks effectively in Japanese. Keep practicing!

§ What 掃除 (souji) means

Japanese Word

掃除 (souji)

Definition

Cleaning; sweeping.

CEFR Level

A2

You're learning Japanese, and you've probably heard or will hear the word 掃除 (souji) a lot. It's a fundamental word for describing the act of cleaning. Let's break down where you'll encounter it in everyday life.

§ Cleaning at work (職場 - shokuba)

In Japan, cleaning isn't just something you do at home. Many workplaces, especially smaller offices or shops, have a culture of employees participating in daily or weekly cleaning tasks. You might hear:

Hint: "Who is on cleaning duty today?"

Hint: "Please clean around your desk."

§ Cleaning at school (学校 - gakkou)

Japanese schools have a system called 掃除の時間 (souji no jikan), or "cleaning time," where students clean their own classrooms and school grounds. It's a core part of the educational experience. You might hear teachers or older students say:

Hint: "Let's start cleaning!"

Hint: "Today, I am in charge of cleaning the toilets."

§ Cleaning in the news and media (ニュース - nyuusu)

You'll also come across 掃除 in news reports or discussions, especially when talking about public spaces, events, or disaster recovery. For example, after a festival or a natural disaster, news reports might discuss the cleanup efforts.

• 公園の掃除ボランティアに参加しました。(Kouen no souji borantia ni sanka shimashita.)

  Hint: "I participated in the park cleaning volunteer activity."

• 週末は家の掃除で忙しかった。(Shuumatsu wa ie no souji de isogashikatta.)

  Hint: "I was busy with house cleaning on the weekend."

Understanding 掃除 in these contexts will help you grasp more of daily Japanese conversations and news. Pay attention to the particles used with it, like を (o) when indicating what is being cleaned, or の (no) when it modifies another noun (e.g., 掃除の時間 - cleaning time).