石鹸（せっけん、seっken）
- soap

石鹸 石鹸 is the Japanese word for soap. It refers to a substance used for washing and cleaning the body, clothes, or other items. It typically comes in the form of a solid bar or a liquid, and it works by removing dirt, oil, and other impurities.

⚫︎石鹸で手を洗ってください。 Translation: Please wash your hands with soap. ⚫︎この石鹸はとても香りがいい。 Translation: This soap smells very nice. ⚫︎新しい石鹸を買う必要があります。 Translation: I need to buy some new soap.

You use 石鹸 in daily conversations when talking about cleaning, hygiene, or washing. You would use it in situations such as when: ⚫︎ Instructing someone to wash their hands. ⚫︎ Describing the qualities of a soap. ⚫︎ Talking about purchasing soap.

⚫︎ The standard way to write 石鹸 is with the kanji 石 (ishi - stone) and 鹸 (ken - an archaic kanji used in chemistry). ⚫︎ The hiragana reading is せっけん. ⚫︎ There are no common variations in okurigana.

There aren't many direct synonyms for 石鹸, as it's a specific term. However, you might use more general words if you’re describing something similar, for example: ⚫︎ 洗剤 (senzai) - detergent (this can include soap, but also other cleaning agents)

There aren't any direct antonyms for 石鹸. The concept of "not soap" isn't generally something you would discuss using a single word.

お風呂に入る前に、石鹸で体を洗います。 ・Translation: Before taking a bath, I wash my body with soap. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the action of using soap 石鹸 to clean one's body before bathing.

この石鹸は敏感肌の人にも優しいです。 ・Translation: This soap is gentle even for people with sensitive skin. ・Explanation: This sentence highlights a quality of the soap, its gentleness, relevant to people with sensitive skin.

The word 石鹸 is a loanword from the Portuguese word "sabão" (meaning soap), which in turn comes from the Latin word "sapo". The kanji 石 (ishi - stone) and 鹸 (ken) were chosen for their phonetic value, not their literal meaning.