Bathroom
Collocations, Stage 1chunk 13 of 22Home & daily routine
The washroom routine people mention morning and night: the toilet, a shower, a bath, teeth, a shave.
- toire ni ikugo to the toilet
- shawaa o abirutake a shower
- ofuro ni hairutake a bath
- ha o migakubrush your teeth
- hige o sorushave (your face)
Mix-ups shawaa o abiru and ofuro ni hairu are both 'take a ___' in English, but a shower is poured over you (o abiru) and a bath is gone into (ni hairu); drill them in one frame, saki ni ___ kuru ne. Teeth are polished (migaku), and a shave names what comes off (hige o soru).
toire ni iku
polite toire ni ikimasugo to the toilet
トイレに行く トイレにいく トイレに行きます
verbiku 行くgotypical 37% of toire
trap Not ofuro or basuruumu for 'bathroom': those mean the room you bathe in, which in most Japanese homes is separate from the toilet, so 'go to the bathroom' is toire ni iku.
The plain way to excuse yourself, usually with -te kuru since you'll be back: chotto toire itte kuru. Casual speech drops ni. toire itteru means someone has gone and is in there now (tanaka-san nara toire itteru yo), not that they're on the way. With strangers or at work, otearai ni itte kimasu sounds softer.
chotto toire itte kuru.
I'm just going to the bathroom.
ちょっとトイレ行ってくる。
chotto toire ni itte kimasu.
I'll just go to the restroom.
ちょっとトイレに行ってきます。
Asking where it is: toire doko? to friends, otearai wa doko desu ka? to staff.
Same verb: otearai (restroom, politer)Main list: iku (Stage 1), -te kuru (Stage 4)
shawaa o abiru
polite shawaa o abimasutake a shower
シャワーを浴びる シャワーをあびる シャワーを浴びます
verbabiru 浴びるpour over yourself, bathe in (water, sunlight)typical 63% of shawaa
trap Not shawaa o toru: 'take' points to toru, but a shower is poured over you, so the verb is abiru.
Used for showering at any time of day. You mostly hear shawaa abite kuru (I'll go shower) or shawaa abita (I've showered), usually without o.
saki ni shawaa abite kuru ne.
I'll go shower first.
先にシャワー浴びてくるね。
saki ni shawaa o abite kimasu ne.
I'll go and take a shower first.
先にシャワーを浴びてきますね。
Casual shawaa suru is also heard.
Same verb: mizu (water), hizashi (sunlight)Learn alongside: ofuro ni hairu, shashin o toru (Stage 2), kusuri o nomu (Stage 2), jikan ga kakaru (Stage 2), jikan ga tatsu (Stage 2), tema ga kakaru (Stage 2), onsen ni hairu (Stage 3), jikan o toru (Stage 4)Main list: toru (Stage 4)
ofuro ni hairu
polite ofuro ni hairimasutake a bath
お風呂に入る おふろにはいる お風呂に入ります
verbhairu 入るgo into, enter (a room, a bath, a club)typical 52% of ofuro
trap Not ofuro o toru or ofuro o abiru: a bath is something you go into, so it's ni hairu.
The everyday way to talk about bathing at home, usually at night. You hear ofuro haitte kuru and ofuro haitta? (have you had your bath?) all the time, mostly without ni.
saki ni ofuro haitte kuru ne.
I'll go have my bath first.
先にお風呂入ってくるね。
saki ni ofuro ni haitte kimasu ne.
I'll go and have my bath first.
先にお風呂に入ってきますね。
Running the bath is ofuro o ireru or ofuro o wakasu; the water heater announces ofuro ga wakimashita.
Same verb: onsen (hot spring), sauna (sauna), puuru (pool)Learn alongside: shawaa o abiru, shashin o toru (Stage 2), kusuri o nomu (Stage 2), jikan ga kakaru (Stage 2), jikan ga tatsu (Stage 2), tema ga kakaru (Stage 2), onsen ni hairu (Stage 3), jikan o toru (Stage 4)Main list: hairu (Stage 1), toru (Stage 4)
ha o migaku
polite ha o migakimasubrush your teeth
歯を磨く はをみがく 歯を磨きます
verbmigaku 磨くpolish, scrub until it shines (teeth, shoes)typical 13% of ha
trap Not ha o arau ('wash'): teeth are polished, migaku. hamigaki suru is just as common.
Part of the morning and bedtime routine: ha migaita? (did you brush your teeth?), ha migaite neru (brush and go to bed). The noun form hamigaki suru is just as common.
mada ha migaitenai.
I haven't brushed my teeth yet.
まだ歯磨いてない。
mada ha o migaite imasen.
I haven't brushed my teeth yet.
まだ歯を磨いていません。
10-list-nouns leaves out bare ha (too many homophones) and names ha o migaku as the collocation card that carries it. hamigaki (brushing) and haburashi (toothbrush) are the related nouns.
Same verb: kutsu (shoes)
hige o soru
polite hige o sorimasushave (your face)
ひげを剃る ひげをそる ひげを剃ります
verbsoru 剃るshave off (hair)typical 32% of hige
trap Not hige o kiru, which sounds like trimming it with scissors; shaving it off is soru. soru takes the hair (hige, ke, mayu) or the place (atama o soru).
The daily shave, mostly heard as hige sotta? or hige soranakya; o is often dropped. Stubble is hige ga nobiteru (your beard's grown).
kyou hige soru no wasureta.
I forgot to shave today.
今日ひげ剃るの忘れた。
kyou wa hige o soru no o wasuremashita.
I forgot to shave today.
今日はひげを剃るのを忘れました。
Growing one is hige o hayasu; hige hayashiteru = he has a beard.
Same verb: ke (body hair), atama (head), mayu (eyebrows)Main list: wasureru (Stage 2), -no (Stage 2), -nakya (Stage 3)