アルカリ

• Reading: アルカリ
• Romaji: arukari
• Pronunciation: /a.ɾɯ.ka.ɾi/

Meaning

Alkali; a chemical base that neutralizes acids.

A chemistry term used in both scientific and everyday contexts. Commonly encountered in discussions about water quality (アルカリ性, alkaline), batteries (アルカリ電池, alkaline battery), and health products. Most Japanese people know this word from school science classes.

Examples

1. この水はアルカリ性で体にいいと言われている。 This water is said to be alkaline and good for you.
2. アルカリ電池は長持ちするのでよく使っている。 I use alkaline batteries a lot because they last a long time.
3. 酸性の土壌にアルカリを加えて中和する。 Alkali is added to acidic soil to neutralize it.

Usage Guide

Context: science, health, daily products

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Arabic 'al-qaly' (plant ashes), via Dutch or German. The kanji 亜爾加里 is an ateji (phonetic kanji), rarely used in modern Japanese.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal