洗 — “to wash” in Japanese

Grade 6せん, あら

Radical ⽔ · radical 85 The building block this kanji is filed under

“to wash” in Japanese is 洗, read sen, ara (せん, あら). It is a Grade 6 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 6 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 洗面 (washing the face).

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What does 洗 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	洗
Meaning	to wash
Readings	せん, あら
Grade	Grade 6 (Hardest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	洗面 (washing the face)

How to read 洗

洗 is read sen (せん) or ara (あら) depending on the word.

Words with 洗

洗面
洗剤
洗濯

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Kanji read the same way as 洗

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Updated: 2026-08-28