液体（えきたい、ekitai）
- liquid

The Japanese word 液体 (えきたい, *ekitai*) means "liquid". It refers to a state of matter that has a definite volume but no definite shape, taking the shape of its container. 液体 can encompass a wide range of substances, such as water, oil, and various solutions. It's a general term used to describe things in a fluid form.

⚫︎水は液体です。 Translation: Water is a liquid. ⚫︎その化学物質は常温で液体です。 Translation: That chemical substance is a liquid at room temperature. ⚫︎この薬は液体で飲みやすいです。 Translation: This medicine is in liquid form and easy to drink.

You use 液体 when talking about something in its liquid state. It's used in scientific contexts, everyday conversations, and when describing the form of various substances. It’s a common and versatile word.

液体 is typically written with the kanji 液体, but can also be written in hiragana as えきたい. There are no significant variations in okurigana.

There aren't many direct synonyms for 液体 in general use, as it's a fundamental term. However, depending on the context, you might use more specific words: ⚫︎水 (*mizu*) - water ⚫︎油 (*abura*) - oil

⚫︎固体 (*kotai*) - solid ⚫︎気体 (*kitai*) - gas

牛乳は栄養豊富な液体です。 ・Translation: Milk is a nutritious liquid. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 液体 to describe milk, a common substance consumed in its liquid form.

彼は実験で様々な液体を混ぜた。 ・Translation: He mixed various liquids in the experiment. ・Explanation: This example applies 液体 in a scientific context to refer to multiple substances in a liquid state.

The word 液体 is a compound word. It is formed by combining the kanji 液 (*eki*), which means "liquid" or "fluid", and 体 (*tai*), which means "body" or "form". Thus, 液体 literally means "liquid form" or "liquid body".