消す

• Reading: けす
• Romaji: kesu
• Kanji breakdown: 消 (shou/ke) — to erase, to extinguish
• Pronunciation: /ke.sɯ/

Meaning

To turn off (a light, device); to erase; to extinguish. Used for eliminating or removing things.

A Group 1 (godan) verb with a す stem. Has multiple related meanings: turning off lights or appliances, erasing writing, and extinguishing fires. The intransitive counterpart is 消える (kieru, to go out/disappear). Very common in daily instructions.

Examples

1. 電気を消してから寝ます。 I turn off the lights before going to bed.
2. ホワイトボードの字を消してください。 Please erase the writing on the whiteboard.
3. テレビを消しましたか。 Did you turn off the TV?

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, school, home

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 消 combines 氵 (water radical) and 肖 (to resemble/diminish), evoking the image of water putting out a fire — something diminishing and vanishing.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal