§ Don't Confuse with Other 'Dirty' Words
Japanese has several words that can mean 'dirty,' and it's easy to mix them up. While 汚れた (yogoreta) specifically refers to something that has become dirty or stained, other words have slightly different nuances.
- DEFINITION
- 汚い (kitanai): This is a more general adjective meaning 'dirty,' 'unclean,' or 'filthy.' It can describe something that is inherently dirty, or someone who is morally corrupt. It often carries a stronger sense of disgust or unpleasantness than
汚れた.
彼の部屋は汚い。(Kare no heya wa kitanai.)
His room is dirty/messy (general state of being dirty).
彼の心は汚い。(Kare no kokoro wa kitanai.)
His heart is dirty/corrupt.
- DEFINITION
- 不潔な (fuketsu na): This adjective means 'unclean,' 'unsanitary,' or 'filthy.' It often implies a lack of hygiene or cleanliness, and can also refer to something morally impure. It's often used for things that should be clean but aren't.
不潔な環境で生活する。( Fuketsu na kankyou de seikatsu suru.)
To live in an unsanitary environment.
The key difference is that 汚れた emphasizes the state of having become dirty, often due to an external factor, whereas 汚い and 不潔な can describe a more inherent or general state of uncleanness.
§ Using 汚れた Correctly with Particles
As an い-adjective (when it's 汚い) or a past participle (汚れた from 汚れる), it directly modifies nouns. When you want to talk about what made something dirty, you'll often see the particle で or によって.
泥で汚れた服。(Doro de yogoreta fuku.)
Clothes dirty with mud.
油によって汚れた手。(Abura ni yotte yogoreta te.)
Hands stained by oil.
§ Don't Use for Moral Impurity (Usually)
While 'dirty' in English can sometimes imply moral corruption, 汚れた is almost always used for physical dirt or pollution. For moral impurity, you would typically use words like 汚い (kitanai) or phrases that explicitly describe moral failings.
彼は汚れた心を持っている。(Kare wa yogoreta kokoro o motteiru.)
He has a dirty heart. (This sounds a bit unnatural. 汚い is better here.)
Instead, for moral 'dirt,' you would likely say:
彼は心が汚い。(Kare wa kokoro ga kitanai.)
His heart is dirty/corrupt.
§ Remember it's a State, Not an Action
汚れた is the past tense (or resultative state) of the verb 汚れる (yogoreru), 'to become dirty.' It describes something that is dirty as a result of an action or event. Don't confuse it with the active verb 'to dirty something,' which is 汚す (yogosu).
- DEFINITION
- 汚れる (yogoreru): Intransitive verb meaning 'to become dirty,' 'to get stained.'
シャツが汚れた。(Shatsu ga yogoreta.)
My shirt got dirty.
- DEFINITION
- 汚す (yogosu): Transitive verb meaning 'to dirty something,' 'to stain something.'
私がシャツを汚した。(Watashi ga shatsu o yogoshita.)
I dirtied my shirt.
趣味小知识
The character '汚' (o) is also used in words like '汚染' (osen - pollution) and '汚職' (oshoku - corruption), highlighting its core meaning of uncleanness, both literally and figuratively.
按水平分级的例句
汚れた服を洗濯機に入れた。
I put the dirty clothes in the washing machine.
汚れた (yogoreta) is the past tense form of the verb 汚れる (yogoreru, to become dirty), functioning as an adjective modifying 服 (fuku, clothes).
彼の心は汚れているようだ。
It seems his heart is dirty/corrupted.
Here, 汚れている (yogorete iru) is used metaphorically to describe a corrupted or impure heart. 汚れている is the te-form of 汚れる + いる, indicating a state.
汚れた手で食べ物を触らないでください。
Please don't touch food with dirty hands.
汚れた (yogoreta) modifies 手 (te, hand). で (de) indicates the means or instrument.
川の水が汚れているので、泳げません。
The river water is dirty, so I can't swim.
汚れている (yogorete iru) describes the state of the river water. ので (node) indicates a reason or cause.
汚れた空気のせいで、喉が痛い。
My throat hurts because of the polluted air.
汚れた (yogoreta) modifies 空気 (kūki, air). のせいで (no sei de) means 'because of' or 'due to' (often with a negative connotation).
古い本棚の上が汚れていた。
The top of the old bookshelf was dirty.
汚れていた (yogorete ita) is the past continuous form of 汚れる, describing a past state. の上 (no ue) means 'on top of'.
彼女は汚れた部屋をきれいに掃除した。
She cleanly tidied up the dirty room.
汚れた (yogoreta) modifies 部屋 (heya, room). きれいに (kirei ni) is an adverb meaning 'cleanly'.
この汚れたスプーンは使わないでください。
Please don't use this dirty spoon.
汚れた (yogoreta) modifies スプーン (supūn, spoon). 使わないでください (tsukawanaide kudasai) is a negative imperative, meaning 'please don't use'.
容易混淆的词
While both mean 'dirty,' 汚い often carries a stronger negative connotation, implying messy, disgusting, or inherently unclean. 汚れた is more about something having become dirty.
不潔な specifically refers to something being unhygienic or unsanitary, a more specific type of uncleanliness than 汚れた.
汚れる is the intransitive verb meaning 'to get dirty' or 'to become soiled.' 汚れた is the adjective form derived from this verb, describing the state of being dirty.
容易混淆
While '汚れた' generally means dirty, its nuance can vary depending on context. Learners might confuse it with words that describe specific types of dirtiness or conditions.
This word is a general adjective for something being dirty or soiled. It can refer to physical dirt, pollution, or even moral impurity in some contexts. It's often used for things that have become dirty.
汚れた服を洗濯する。(I'll wash the dirty clothes.)
'汚い' also means dirty, but it has a stronger, more negative connotation and often implies something is inherently unclean or messy.
'汚い' is a more direct and often harsher way to say something is dirty, messy, or even morally despicable. It describes a state of being dirty rather than something that has become dirty.
汚い部屋を片付ける。(Clean up the messy room.)
'不潔な' implies unhygienic or unsanitary conditions, which is a specific type of dirtiness.
'不潔な' specifically refers to something being unsanitary, unhygienic, or unclean in a way that could be harmful to health. It focuses on the lack of cleanliness in a medical or health context.
不潔な手で食べ物を触らないでください。(Please don't touch food with unhygienic hands.)
'汚れる' is the intransitive verb form, meaning 'to become dirty,' which is easily confused with the adjective '汚れた' (dirty).
'汚れる' is a verb meaning 'to get dirty' or 'to become soiled.' It describes the action or process of becoming dirty. '汚れた' is the past participle or adjective form derived from this verb.
白いシャツが汚れた。(My white shirt got dirty.)
'汚す' is the transitive verb form, meaning 'to make dirty,' which can be confused with the adjective '汚れた' (dirty) and the intransitive verb '汚れる'.
'汚す' is a transitive verb meaning 'to make something dirty' or 'to soil something.' It implies an agent causing the dirtiness. '汚れた' describes the state of being dirty after something has been soiled.
子供が服を汚した。(The child dirtied their clothes.)
如何使用
When something is 汚れた (yogoreta), it means it has become dirty or soiled. This word can be used for physical objects like clothes, hands, or a room. It can also describe a place that is polluted, like 汚れた空気 (yogoreta kūki - polluted air) or 汚れた水 (yogoreta mizu - dirty water). It's the past tense form of the verb 汚れる (yogoreru), which means 'to become dirty'.
A common mistake is confusing 汚れた (yogoreta - dirty/polluted) with 汚い (kitanai - dirty/filthy). While both mean 'dirty', 汚い often carries a stronger negative connotation, implying something is very filthy, unhygienic, or even morally impure. 汚れた simply states the condition of being soiled. Think of it this way: a shirt with a small spill might be 汚れた, but a shirt found in a dumpster is likely 汚い.
记住它
记忆技巧
Imagine a **ke**y (like the Japanese character 'ke' for '汚') is used to unlock a **ga**rbage bin (like 'ga' for 'れ'). The bin is so **re**pulsive (like 're' for 'た') because it's **dirty** with all kinds of grime and pollution.
视觉联想
Picture a once beautiful white shirt, now covered in mud and grime. See the Japanese characters for 'yogoreta' (汚れた) splattered across it, just as dirty as the shirt itself. The 'o' (お) looks like a splash of mud, 'yo' (よ) like a twisted, dirty fabric, 'go' (ご) like a blob of grime, 're' (れ) like a ripped part of the shirt, and 'ta' (た) like a stubborn stain.
Word Web
挑战
Describe five things you encounter daily that could be described as '汚れた'. For example, if your shoes are muddy, you could say: 「私の靴は汚れています。」(Watashi no kutsu wa yogorete imasu. - My shoes are dirty.) Try to use the word in different sentence structures and with different particles.
词源
From '汚れる' (yogoreru), meaning 'to become dirty.' The past participle form is used as an adjective.
原始含义： To become soiled or unclean.
Japonic文化背景
In Japan, cleanliness is highly valued, both personally and in public spaces. The concept of 'kirei' (beautiful/clean) is often intertwined. Therefore, something 'yokogareta' (dirty) is generally seen as undesirable and often quickly addressed.
自我测试 42 个问题
この服は___から、洗濯が必要です。(Kono fuku wa ___ kara, sentaku ga hitsuyō desu.) - These clothes are ___ so they need washing.
The sentence indicates that the clothes need washing, which implies they are dirty. '汚れた' (yogoreta) means dirty.
彼は___手でパンを食べました。(Kare wa ___ te de pan o tabemashita.) - He ate bread with ___ hands.
Eating bread with dirty hands is a common scenario. '汚れた' (yogoreta) fits the context of hands that are not clean.
雨の後、道はとても___でした。(Ame no ato, michi wa totemo ___ deshita.) - After the rain, the road was very ___.
Rain often makes roads muddy or dirty. '汚れた' (yogoreta) describes this state.
子供たちは公園で遊んだ後、___服で帰ってきました。(Kodomo-tachi wa kōen de asonda ato, ___ fuku de kaette kimashita.) - The children came home with ___ clothes after playing in the park.
It's common for children's clothes to get dirty after playing in a park. '汚れた' (yogoreta) means dirty.
この部屋は長い間掃除されていなかったので、とても___。(Kono heya wa nagai aida sōji sarete inakatta node, totemo ___.) - This room hasn't been cleaned for a long time, so it's very ___.
A room that hasn't been cleaned for a long time will likely be dirty. '汚れた' (yogoreta) is the correct choice.
彼は___靴を履いて面接に行きました。(Kare wa ___ kutsu o haite mensetsu ni ikimashita.) - He went to the interview wearing ___ shoes.
Wearing dirty shoes to an interview is not ideal. '汚れた' (yogoreta) means dirty and fits the context of an undesirable situation for an interview.
This sentence means 'The clothes are very dirty.' '服は' (fuku wa) means 'The clothes', 'とても' (totemo) means 'very', and '汚れています' (yogorete imasu) means 'are dirty'.
This sentence means 'That water is polluted and cannot be drunk.' 'その水は' (sono mizu wa) means 'That water', '汚れていて' (yogorete ite) means 'is polluted and', and '飲めません' (nomemasen) means 'cannot be drunk'.
This sentence means 'My hands got dirty with mud.' '泥で' (doro de) means 'with mud', '手が' (te ga) means 'hands', and '汚れた' (yogoreta) means 'got dirty'.
この服はとても___から、洗濯が必要です。(This clothing is very ___ so it needs washing.)
「汚い」(きたない) means dirty. The sentence implies the clothes need washing because they are dirty.
雨の後、靴が泥で___しまった。(After the rain, my shoes got ___ with mud.)
「汚れて」(よごれて) is the te-form of 「汚れる」(よごれる), meaning to become dirty. It fits the context of shoes getting dirty with mud.
彼の部屋はいつも___ので、掃除する時間がない。(His room is always ___ so he doesn't have time to clean.)
「汚い」(きたない) means dirty or messy. This fits the context of a room that needs cleaning.
その水は___いるので、飲まない方がいい。(That water is ___ so it's better not to drink it.)
「汚れて」(よごれて) implies the water is polluted or unclean, making it unsuitable for drinking.
子供たちは公園で遊んで、服が___になった。(The children played in the park and their clothes became ___.)
When children play, especially outdoors, their clothes often become dirty. 「汚れた」(よごれた) means 'became dirty'.
工場からの煙で空気が___いる。(The air is ___ with smoke from the factory.)
Smoke from a factory would make the air polluted or dirty. 「汚れて」(よごれて) accurately describes this condition.
The particles が and で correctly mark the subject and the cause of the dirtiness, respectively.
This sentence correctly orders the subject, the source of pollution (工場の排水), and the particle indicating the cause (で).
The order shows the progression from the dirty hands to the action taken to clean them.
Choose the most appropriate word to complete the sentence: 道に___ゴミが散乱している。
「汚れた」は「dirty」や「polluted」を意味し、ゴミの状態を表すのに最も適切です。
Which sentence correctly uses 「汚れた」?
「汚れた」は物理的な汚れに対して使うのが一般的です。心や考えは通常、「汚れた」とは表現しません。
何かが「汚れている」状態を最もよく表す絵文字はどれですか？
🗑️はゴミ箱を表し、物が汚れている状態や廃棄される状態を示唆します。他の絵文字は清潔さや自然を表します。
「汚れた水」は、飲むことができる水のことである。
「汚れた水」は、不純物や有害物質が含まれており、飲むのに適さない水のことです。
「汚れた手」は、清潔で、食べ物を触る前に洗う必要がない状態を指す。
「汚れた手」は、細菌や汚れが付着しており、食べ物を触る前に洗う必要がある状態を指します。
「汚れた空気」は、環境問題の一つとしてよく取り上げられる。
大気汚染など、「汚れた空気」は環境問題として深刻に議論されることが多いです。
Imagine you're a hotel manager. A guest complains about a 'dirty' room. Write an apology email to the guest, explaining what steps will be taken to resolve the issue. Use 汚れた at least once.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
お客様 この度は、私どものホテルにご宿泊いただき、誠にありがとうございます。しかしながら、お部屋が汚れていたとのこと、深くお詫び申し上げます。お客様にご不快な思いをさせてしまい、大変申し訳ございませんでした。 早急に清掃スタッフに確認させ、今後このようなことがないよう、清掃体制を徹底いたします。また、お部屋の交換または割引にて対応させていただきますので、フロントまでお申し付けください。 今後とも、お客様に快適にお過ごしいただけるよう、サービスの向上に努めてまいります。何卒ご容赦いただけますようお願い申し上げます。 敬具 [あなたの名前] ホテルマネージャー
You are a journalist reporting on environmental issues. Write a short paragraph about the impact of polluted rivers on local communities. Incorporate the word 汚れた.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
長年にわたる産業排水の流入により、この地域の川はひどく汚れてしまった。かつては住民たちの憩いの場であり、生活用水の供給源でもあったが、今ではその役割を失っている。汚れた水は生態系に深刻な影響を与え、漁業を営む人々にとっては死活問題となっている。
Describe a situation where someone accidentally dirtied an important item. What happened, and how did they try to fix it? Use 汚れた.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
友人の結婚式に着ていく予定だったお気に入りのドレスが、コーヒーをこぼしてしまい汚れてしまった。あわててシミ抜きを試みたが、なかなか落ちない。結局、急遽クリーニング店に駆け込み、何とか結婚式前日にはきれいな状態に戻すことができた。本当に肝を冷やした。
この公園の現状について、筆者はどのような懸念を抱いていますか？
Read this passage:
近所の公園は以前は子供たちの遊び場として賑わっていましたが、最近はゴミが散乱し、すっかり汚れてしまいました。行政に改善を求める声も上がっていますが、なかなか対応が進まないのが現状です。このままでは、子供たちが安心して遊べる場所が失われてしまいます。
この公園の現状について、筆者はどのような懸念を抱いていますか？
筆者は公園が汚れている現状を受け、「このままでは、子供たちが安心して遊べる場所が失われてしまいます」と述べており、子供たちが遊べなくなることへの懸念を表明しています。
筆者は公園が汚れている現状を受け、「このままでは、子供たちが安心して遊べる場所が失われてしまいます」と述べており、子供たちが遊べなくなることへの懸念を表明しています。
この出来事によって、特にどのような問題が浮き彫りになりましたか？
Read this passage:
美術展で展示されていた歴史的な絵画が、何者かの手によって汚されてしまう事件が発生しました。文化財の保護の重要性が改めて問われています。警察は現在、犯人の特定と動機の解明に向けて捜査を進めています。
この出来事によって、特にどのような問題が浮き彫りになりましたか？
文章中に「文化財の保護の重要性が改めて問われています」と明記されているため、これが最も適切な答えです。
文章中に「文化財の保護の重要性が改めて問われています」と明記されているため、これが最も適切な答えです。
筆者は「人々の認識を汚す」ものが何であると指摘していますか？
Read this passage:
今日の社会では、情報の氾濫により、真実と虚偽の境界が曖昧になりがちです。特にインターネット上では、意図的に歪められた情報や、誤解を招くような表現が横行しており、人々の認識を汚す可能性があります。情報の真偽を見極めるリテラシーが、これまで以上に重要になっています。
筆者は「人々の認識を汚す」ものが何であると指摘していますか？
筆者は「意図的に歪められた情報や、誤解を招くような表現が横行しており、人々の認識を汚す可能性があります」と具体的に述べています。
筆者は「意図的に歪められた情報や、誤解を招くような表現が横行しており、人々の認識を汚す可能性があります」と具体的に述べています。
The residents are complaining that the wastewater from the factory is polluting the river.
It seems her heart has been deeply defiled by bitter past experiences.
We have a responsibility to pass on this beautiful Earth to the future without polluting it.
Read this aloud:
その政策は環境を汚す可能性があるため、多くの議論を呼んでいる。
Focus: 可能性 (kanōsei)
你说的：
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Read this aloud:
彼の名誉は、そのスキャンダルによって著しく汚された。
Focus: 著しく (ichijirushiku)
你说的：
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Read this aloud:
汚れた水は、すぐに処理しないと健康被害を引き起こす恐れがある。
Focus: 引き起こす (hikiokosu)
你说的：
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/ 42 correct
Perfect score!
相关内容
相关表达
更多nature词汇
～上
B1Above; on top of; up.
〜の上
A2On top of, above, upon.
豊か
B1Abundant; rich; plentiful (na-adjective).
〜に従って
B1According to, in conformity with, as (something happens).
酸性雨
B1Acid rain.
営み
B1Activity; daily life; undertaking (e.g., life's activities).
順応する
B1To adapt; to adjust; to conform.
~を背景に
B1Against the backdrop of; with...as background.
空気
A2air
大気汚染
B1Air pollution; the presence of harmful substances in the air.
