水洗

• Reading: すいせん
• Romaji: suisen
• Kanji breakdown: 水 (sui/mizu) — water; 洗 (sen/ara) — wash, cleanse
• Pronunciation: /sɯi.seɴ/

Meaning

Flushing; washing with water. Cleaning something using a flow of water, especially regarding toilets.

A noun that also functions as a suru verb (水洗する). Most commonly encountered in 水洗トイレ (flush toilet) and 水洗い (washing with water). A practical everyday term: 水洗式 (flush-type). Not to be confused with the homophones 推薦 (suisen, recommendation) or 水仙 (suisen, daffodil).

Examples

1. この建物のトイレはすべて水洗式です。 All the toilets in this building are flush toilets.
2. 野菜は料理の前にしっかり水洗いしてください。 Please wash the vegetables thoroughly with water before cooking.
3. 水洗トイレが普及したのは戦後のことだ。 Flush toilets became widespread in Japan after the war.

Usage Guide

Context: household, hygiene, facilities

Tone: practical

Origin & History

Compound of 水 (sui, water) and 洗 (sen, to wash). Together, 'water-washing' — a straightforward compound describing the action of cleaning with water.

Cultural Context

Era: Post-war

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal