Japanese symbol for “purify”
洗う
あらう
Romaji: arau
to wash; to cleanse; to rinse
In Japanese, purify is 洗う, read あらう (arau).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- v5u, vt to wash; to cleanse; to rinse
- v5u, vt to inquire into; to investigate
- v5u, vt to purify (one's heart)
- v5u, vt to lave (e.g. shore); to wash over (e.g. deck); to sweep
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “purify”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 清める | きよめる kiyomeru | to purify; to cleanse; to exorcise |
| 祓う | はらう harau | to exorcise; to cleanse; to purify |
| 払い清める | はらいきよめる haraikiyomeru | to purify; to exorcise |
| 精げる | しらげる shirageru | to polish (rice); to refine; to purify |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 洗濯 | せんたく sentaku | washing; laundry |
| 洗剤 | せんざい senzai | detergent; cleanser; cleaning agent |
| 洗浄 | せんじょう senjou | washing; cleansing; cleaning |
| 洗面 | せんめん senmen | washing one's face |
| 手洗い | てあらい tearai | washing one's hands; water (or basin, etc.) for washing one's hands |
See also: Chinese symbol for “purify”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.