How do you say "switch off" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "switch off" is 消す (kesu). It is a verb pronounced "keh-soo".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

消す is written in kanji and hiragana. Romanised as kesu, it sounds roughly like "keh-soo" to an English ear.

Example sentence

週末に消しますつもりです。

Shuumatsu ni keshimasu tsumori desu.

I plan to to switch off this weekend.

Usage notes

消す means to switch off in Japanese. This is an everyday verb that learners encounter early. Mastering its masu form (消します) and te-form opens up many sentence patterns.

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Questions about 消す

How do you pronounce 消す?

消す is romanised as kesu. Say it roughly like "keh-soo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 消す formal or casual?

消す is the plain (dictionary) form, used in casual speech and in dictionaries. For polite situations, verbs take a different ending, typically -masu. In Noun Town the game always shows the dictionary form.

How is 消す written in Japanese?

消す is written using kanji and hiragana. Kanji characters carry the core meaning; any hiragana or katakana that follow show grammatical endings.

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.