洗面所（せんめんじょ、senmeんjo）
- washroom

The word 洗面所 (せんめんじょ) refers to a "washroom," "bathroom sink area," or "lavatory." It's a designated space in a house, building, or public facility primarily used for personal hygiene, such as washing one's face, hands, and brushing teeth. This area typically includes a sink (basin) and a mirror, and sometimes other amenities like a toilet, shower, or even a washing machine. The 洗面所 is a place for personal grooming and cleaning.

⚫︎洗面所で顔を洗いました。 Translation: I washed my face in the washroom. ⚫︎洗面所はどこですか？ Translation: Where is the washroom? ⚫︎新しいアパートには広い洗面所があります。 Translation: The new apartment has a spacious washroom.

You use 洗面所 when referring to the physical space dedicated to washing up. It is commonly used in everyday conversation. You'd use it when asking for directions to the washroom, describing the facilities of a house, or talking about your daily hygiene routine. It's suitable for both formal and informal settings. You would typically use this term in the context of a residential or commercial building.

The word 洗面所 is written with the following: ⚫︎ Kanji: 洗面所 ⚫︎ Hiragana: せんめんじょ ⚫︎ Katakana: There is no Katakana form. The okurigana (送り仮名 - the hiragana following the kanji) is consistent, typically used "じょ". There are no other common ways to write this word. The kanji 洗 (sen - to wash), 面 (men - face/surface), and 所 (jo - place) are combined to form the word.

⚫︎ 化粧室 (keshōshitsu): Powder room or restroom, often used more in public spaces where make-up is applied. ⚫︎ トイレ (toire): Toilet, sometimes used more generally to refer to any place for personal hygiene, though technically the focus is on the toilet itself. ⚫︎ お手洗い (otearai): Restroom; a more polite term. ⚫︎ バスルーム (basurūmu): Bathroom, if it includes a sink area.

There aren't direct antonyms for 洗面所 as it refers to a physical space. However, words relating to dirty, unclean spaces could be seen as contrasting, but aren't antonyms in the strictest sense.

毎朝、洗面所で歯を磨きます。 ・Translation: I brush my teeth in the washroom every morning. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a daily routine of using the washroom.

このホテルは洗面所が広くて使いやすいです。 ・Translation: The washroom in this hotel is spacious and easy to use. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a positive aspect of a hotel room.

The word is a combination of three kanji: 洗 (sen - to wash), 面 (men - face/surface), and 所 (jo - place). The combination of the characters directly translates to "washing face place" or "place for washing the face", indicating the function of the area. The etymology is a very straightforward and clear description of the room's use.