不潔

• Reading: ふけつ
• Romaji: fuketsu
• Kanji breakdown: 不 (fu) — not, un-; 潔 (ketsu) — clean, pure
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯ.ke.tsɯ/

Meaning

Unclean; dirty; unsanitary. Lacking hygiene or cleanliness.

A na-adjective (不潔な) formed by adding the negative prefix 不 to 潔 (clean). Stronger and more judgmental than 汚い (kitanai, dirty). Often used for hygiene violations or to criticise someone's habits. Can also carry a moral connotation of impurity.

Examples

1. 不潔な環境は病気の原因になる。 An unsanitary environment can cause illness.
2. 手を洗わないのは不潔だと思われるよ。 People will think you're dirty if you don't wash your hands.
3. その店は不潔だという口コミが多かった。 That restaurant had a lot of reviews saying it was unclean.

Usage Guide

Context: hygiene, health, criticism

Tone: negative

Origin & History

Compound of 不 (fu, not/un-) and 潔 (ketsu, clean/pure). The negative prefix creates the antonym of 清潔, meaning 'not clean.'

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal