干します（ほします、hoshimasu）
- to dry

The Japanese verb 干します, read as ほします (hoshi-masu) in its polite form, primarily means "to dry" or "to air out." It implies removing moisture from something, typically by exposing it to the air or sunlight. This action can apply to various objects, from laundry to food products.

⚫︎ 洗濯物を干します。 Translation: I dry the laundry. ⚫︎ 干し柿を作ります。 Translation: I make dried persimmons. ⚫︎ 魚を干します。 Translation: I dry the fish.

⚫︎ 干します is used when you are actively putting something out to dry, such as clothes on a line or vegetables in the sun. ⚫︎ It can also be used figuratively for the process of dehydrating or removing moisture from something. ⚫︎ The context usually makes it clear what is being dried.

⚫︎ The word is typically written with the kanji 干 (meaning "dry," "to dry," or "to drain") and the hiragana します, which indicates the polite present/future tense. ⚫︎ The kanji 干 can also be written in isolation (e.g., in signs or notices). ⚫︎ The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is します and doesn't have variations in common usage for this specific verb. However, the stem part [干] of the verb will be replaced based on the conjugation rule. For instance, [干し] (hoshi - stem), [干さ] (hosasa - negative form), [干せ] (hose - potential form), etc.

⚫︎ 乾かす (kawaka-su): To dry, often used for items that are damp rather than soaking wet. ⚫︎ 乾燥させる (kansou saseru): To dry (something) - more formal, frequently used in the context of machinery.

⚫︎ 濡らす (nura-su): To wet, to moisten.

今日は天気が良いので、洗濯物を庭に干します。 ・Translation: The weather is nice today, so I will hang the laundry in the yard. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the action of drying clothes outdoors, taking advantage of the favorable weather conditions.

食べ物を長く保存するために、野菜を干しました。 ・Translation: I dried the vegetables to preserve food for a long time. ・Explanation: This sentence explains the reason behind the action of drying vegetables, highlighting its function in preservation.

⚫︎ The kanji 干 originally depicted something hanging or suspended, which led to the meaning of drying or draining. ⚫︎ Over time, the concept broadened to include removing moisture through exposure to air or sunlight.