N4 · 40 words

Housework

Cleaning, washing, tidying up and taking out the rubbish.

In Japan rubbish is sorted before it goes out, and each kind has its own collection day: 燃(も)えるゴミ, rubbish that can be burnt, and 燃(も)えないゴミ, rubbish that cannot, are the first two categories anyone learns. The big chores are nouns with する — 掃除(そうじ)する, 洗濯(せんたく)する — while the hands-on actions have verbs of their own: you 拭(ふ)く a table and 干(ほ)す the washing.

The words

Verb (16)

片付(かたづ)けるto tidy up; to put awayVerbN4

遊(あそ)んだ後(あと)は、おもちゃを片付(かたづ)けましょう。Let's put the toys away after we have played.

拭(ふ)くto wipeVerbN4

テーブルを拭(ふ)いてください。Please wipe the table.

干(ほ)すto hang out to dry; to airVerbN4

ベランダに洗濯物(せんたくもの)を干(ほ)しました。I hung the washing out on the balcony.

畳(たた)むto foldVerbN4

乾(かわ)いた服(ふく)を畳(たた)みました。I folded the dry clothes.

汚(よご)すto make dirty; to stainVerbN3

子供(こども)がジュースで服(ふく)を汚(よご)しました。The child got juice all over their clothes.

Transitive; when something gets dirty by itself, it 汚(よご)れる.

汚(よご)れるto get dirtyVerbN4

雨(あめ)で靴(くつ)が汚(よご)れました。My shoes got dirty in the rain.

手伝(てつだ)うto helpVerbN4

母(はは)の料理(りょうり)を手伝(てつだ)いました。I helped my mother with the cooking.

Both the task and the person take を: 母(はは)を手伝(てつだ)う, 料理(りょうり)を手伝(てつだ)う.

燃(も)えるto burnVerbN4

燃(も)えるゴミは月曜日(げつようび)と木曜日(もくようび)です。Burnable rubbish goes out on Mondays and Thursdays.

捨(す)てるto throw awayVerbN4

古(ふる)い雑誌(ざっし)を捨(す)てました。I threw away some old magazines.

分(わ)けるto divide; to sort; to shareVerbN4

ゴミは種類(しゅるい)ごとに分(わ)けて出(だ)します。Rubbish is sorted by type before it goes out.

乾(かわ)くto dry; to become dryVerbN4

洗濯物(せんたくもの)がよく乾(かわ)きました。The washing has dried nicely.

Intransitive; to dry something yourself is 乾(かわ)かす.

乾(かわ)かすto dry (something)VerbN4

髪(かみ)をドライヤーで乾(かわ)かします。I dry my hair with a hairdryer.

濡(ぬ)れるto get wetVerbN4

干(ほ)した洗濯物(せんたくもの)が雨(あめ)で濡(ぬ)れてしまいました。The washing on the line got wet in the rain.

散(ち)らかるto be in a mess; to be strewn aboutVerbN3

子供(こども)の部屋(へや)がおもちゃで散(ち)らかっています。The children's room is strewn with toys.

掃(は)くto sweepVerbN3

玄関(げんかん)の前(まえ)をほうきで掃(は)きました。I swept in front of the door with a broom.

Sounds like はく, "to put on" shoes or trousers, but is a different word.

しまうto put awayVerbN4

冬(ふゆ)の服(ふく)を押(お)し入(い)れにしまいました。I put the winter clothes away in the cupboard.

After a te-form it means something else: 忘(わす)れてしまう, "to end up forgetting".

Noun (23)

掃除(そうじ)cleaningNounN4

週末(しゅうまつ)に部屋(へや)を掃除(そうじ)します。I clean my room at the weekend.

Also a verb: 掃除(そうじ)する.

洗濯(せんたく)washing; laundryNounN4

天気(てんき)がいいので、洗濯(せんたく)をしました。The weather was nice, so I did the washing.

Also a verb: 洗濯(せんたく)する.

ゴミrubbishNounN4

ゴミは朝(あさ)8時(じ)までに出(だ)してください。Please put the rubbish out by eight in the morning.

Also written in hiragana: ごみ.

ほうきbroomNounN3

庭(にわ)の落(お)ち葉(ば)をほうきで集(あつ)めました。I gathered up the fallen leaves in the garden with a broom.

掃除機(そうじき)vacuum cleanerNounN4

毎朝(まいあさ)掃除機(そうじき)をかけます。I vacuum every morning.

A vacuum cleaner is "put on": 掃除機(そうじき)をかける.

ハンガーclothes hangerNounN3

シャツをハンガーに掛(か)けて干(ほ)します。I hang shirts on hangers to dry.

雑巾(ぞうきん)floor cloth; ragNounN3

雑巾(ぞうきん)で床(ゆか)を拭(ふ)きました。I wiped the floor with a cloth.

ゴミ箱(ばこ)bin; wastepaper basketNounN4

紙(かみ)くずはゴミ箱(ばこ)に捨(す)ててください。Please put scraps of paper in the bin.

汚(よご)れdirt; stainNounN3

この汚(よご)れはなかなか落(お)ちません。This stain just will not come out.

ほこりdustNounN3

棚(たな)の上(うえ)にほこりがたまっています。Dust has gathered on top of the shelf.

家事(かじ)housework; choresNounN3

夫(おっと)と家事(かじ)を分(わ)けています。My husband and I share the housework.

整理(せいり)sorting out; putting in orderNounN3

引(ひ)き出(だ)しの中(なか)を整理(せいり)しました。I sorted out the drawer.

Also a verb: 整理(せいり)する.

アイロンiron (for clothes)NounN4

シャツにアイロンをかけます。I iron my shirts.

粗大(そだい)ゴミbulky waste (furniture and the like)NounN3

古(ふる)いソファは粗大(そだい)ゴミに出(だ)します。The old sofa is going out as bulky waste.

Usually collected only by appointment, often for a fee.

シーツsheet (on a bed)NounN3

週(しゅう)に一度(いちど)シーツを替(か)えます。I change the sheets once a week.

タオルtowelNounN4

洗(あら)ったタオルを畳(たた)んでください。Please fold the clean towels.

洗剤(せんざい)detergent; washing-up liquidNounN4

洗剤(せんざい)が少(すく)なくなったので、買(か)ってきます。We're running low on detergent, so I'll go and buy some.

皿洗(さらあら)いwashing upNounN3

夕食(ゆうしょく)の後(あと)の皿洗(さらあら)いは私(わたし)の仕事(しごと)です。Washing up after dinner is my job.

床(ゆか)floorNounN4

床(ゆか)に物(もの)を置(お)かないでください。Please do not leave things on the floor.

生(なま)ゴミfood waste; kitchen scrapsNounN3

生(なま)ゴミは袋(ふくろ)に入(い)れて出(だ)します。Food waste goes out in a bag.

ゴミ袋(ぶくろ)bin bagNounN3

ゴミ袋(ぶくろ)をもう一枚(いちまい)ください。Could I have another bin bag, please?

当番(とうばん)one's turn (on a rota)NounN3

今週(こんしゅう)は私(わたし)が掃除(そうじ)の当番(とうばん)です。This week it's my turn to do the cleaning.

洗濯物(せんたくもの)laundry; the washingNounN4

雨(あめ)が降(ふ)りそうなので、洗濯物(せんたくもの)を入(い)れました。It looked like rain, so I brought the washing in.

i-adjective (1)

汚(きたな)いdirty; messyi-adjectiveN4

弟(おとうと)の部屋(へや)はいつも汚(きたな)いです。My little brother's room is always a mess.

This list belongs to Home and daily life — ten lists and 404 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.