雑巾（ぞうきん、zoukin）
- rag

The word 雑巾 (*zōkin*) refers to a cleaning rag or a wiping cloth. It's used for cleaning surfaces like floors, tables, and windows. It's typically made from old cloth or special absorbent materials.

⚫︎ 机を雑巾で拭きました。 Translation: I wiped the table with a cleaning rag. ⚫︎ 雑巾を洗って干してください。 Translation: Please wash the cleaning rag and hang it to dry. ⚫︎ 床を雑巾で綺麗に掃除しました。 Translation: I cleaned the floor nicely with a cleaning rag.

You use 雑巾 when you're talking about cleaning a surface. It's a common household item, so you'll hear and use this word frequently when discussing housework or cleaning. It can also refer to the cloth itself or the action of wiping with it.

雑巾 is typically written in kanji as 雑巾, but it can also be written in hiragana as ぞうきん. The okurigana (送りがな, suffix hiragana) is always written as きん. There are no other ways to write this word.

⚫︎ 拭き布 (*fukin*) - wiping cloth ⚫︎ 雑布 (*zappu*) - another word for cleaning rag (less common)

There are no direct antonyms for 雑巾 because it's a noun. It doesn't have an opposite, but you could consider the objects/surfaces being cleaned as related to its function, although they are not antonyms.

この雑巾は、もう使えません。新しいのを買わないと。 ・Translation: This cleaning rag is no longer usable. I need to buy a new one. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the condition of a cleaning rag and the need to replace it.

毎日、雑巾で窓を拭いています。 ・Translation: I wipe the windows with a cleaning rag every day. ・Explanation: This sentence explains the action of cleaning the windows daily using a cleaning rag.

The word 雑巾 is derived from 雑(zatsu, *miscellaneous* or *various*) and 巾(kin, *cloth*). Thus, it originally described cloth made from miscellaneous leftover pieces or scraps of cloth used for cleaning.