埃（ほこり、hokori）
- dust

The Japanese word 埃 ほこり refers to dust, dirt, or lint. It can also refer to something that is considered trivial or unimportant. It describes the tiny particles that accumulate on surfaces and in the air. The word generally carries a negative connotation, implying something that needs to be cleaned or removed.

⚫︎部屋へやに埃がたくさんある。 Translation: There is a lot of dust in the room. ⚫︎机つくえの上に埃が積もっている。 Translation: Dust is piled up on the desk. ⚫︎この件は埃に過ぎない。 Translation: This matter is just a trifle.

This word is commonly used in everyday conversations to describe the presence of dust or dirt. It can be used when talking about cleaning, tidying up, or the state of a room or object. It's also used metaphorically to mean something that is insignificant or unworthy of attention.

⚫︎The word is primarily written using the kanji 埃. ⚫︎The hiragana reading is ほこり. ⚫︎There are no variations in okurigana. ⚫︎It is not typically written in katakana.

⚫︎塵（ちり）: Dust, dirt. This is a very common synonym. ⚫︎砂埃（すなぼこり）: Dust from sand (usually blown by wind). ⚫︎微塵（みじん）: Fine dust, atom. Used to mean "small amount." ⚫︎ごみ: Garbage, trash. Can be used more broadly, including dust.

⚫︎There isn't a direct antonym. However, words like "clean" きれいな or "tidy" 整理された can be used to describe the opposite state.

窓まどを掃除そうじしたら、埃が酷ひどくて大変たいへんだった。 ・Translation: Cleaning the windows was tough because there was so much dust. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the difficulty encountered when cleaning due to the abundance of dust.

長い間ながいあいだ使つかっていなかった部屋へやは、埃っぽかった。 ・Translation: The room that hadn't been used for a long time was dusty. ・Explanation: This sentence uses the adjective form of 埃, which is 埃っぽい, to describe a dusty state.

The etymology of 埃 is not precisely known. However, the kanji character 埃 is a phonetic ideogram (形声文字; keisei moji), combining elements related to earth/soil and something that spreads or settles. This reflects its meaning of dust or particles that settle onto surfaces.