How do you say "detergent" in Japanese?

洗剤

senzai

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "detergent" is 洗剤 (senzai).

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Pronunciation

Senzai has two clean syllables, sen-zai, with the second half rhyming with English 'sigh'.

Writing and usage

洗剤 is written using kanji. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

洗濯機に洗剤を加えた。

sentakuki ni senzai wo kuwae ta.

She added detergent to the washing machine.

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How to remember 洗剤

Senzai rhymes with zensai (appetizer) but means the opposite of appetizing -- a small mix-up that helps both words stick.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 洗剤

How do you pronounce 洗剤?

Senzai has two clean syllables, sen-zai, with the second half rhyming with English 'sigh'.

Is 洗剤 formal or casual?

洗剤 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 洗剤 written in Japanese?

洗剤 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as senzai.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Detergent" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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