How do you say "outdoor toilet" in Japanese?

お手洗い

otearai

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "outdoor toilet" is お手洗い (otearai).

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Pronunciation

お手洗い is written using kanji. Romanised as otearai, it sounds roughly like "oh-teh-ah-rah-ee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Otearai is an honorific (o-) plus hand-washing place (手洗い). It's a polite euphemism for bathroom or outhouse, showing cultural politeness in naming facilities.

Example sentence

部屋にお手洗いがあります。

Heya ni Otearai ga arimasu.

There is a outdoor toilet in the room.

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How to remember お手洗い

Te (手) is hand, arau (洗う) is wash. Literally hand-washing place. Polite way to say bathroom.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese nouns.

Questions about お手洗い

How do you pronounce お手洗い?

お手洗い is romanised as otearai. Say it roughly like "oh-teh-ah-rah-ee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is お手洗い formal or casual?

お手洗い 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 お手洗い written in Japanese?

お手洗い is written using kanji. Otearai is an honorific (o-) plus hand-washing place (手洗い).

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Outdoor toilet" in other languages

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