不潔(ふけつ)

ふけつ
na-adjective, noun
unclean, dirty, unsanitary
formalcolloquialdescriptive
1. unclean, dirty, unsanitary, filthy
The state of being dirty or unhygienic, either physically or morally.
不潔(ふけつ)な環境(かんきょう)は病気(びょうき)の原因(げんいん)になる。
An unsanitary environment can cause illness.
手(て)が不潔(ふけつ)だと、食中毒(しょくちゅうどく)になりやすい。
If your hands are unclean, you're more likely to get food poisoning.
彼(かれ)の部屋(へや)はいつも不潔(ふけつ)だ。
His room is always dirty.

不潔(ふけつ) is a na-adjective meaning unclean or unsanitary. It emphasizes a lack of hygiene rather than just being visually dirty.

Forms

不(ふ) (not, un-) + 潔(けつ) (clean, pure)

Common patterns

  • 不潔(ふけつ)な + noun: unsanitary [noun]
  • [noun]は不潔(ふけつ)だ: [noun] is unclean

Similar words

  • 不潔(ふけつ) (unhygienic, formal/clinical) ↔ 清潔(せいけつ) (clean, hygienic)
  • 汚(きたな)い (dirty, colloquial, broader) vs. 不潔(ふけつ) (unhygienic, more specific to hygiene)

汚(きたな)い can describe anything dirty (a messy room, muddy shoes), while 不潔(ふけつ) specifically implies poor hygiene or sanitation.

Common collocations

Register

More formal/clinical than 汚(きたな)い. Often used in health, medical, and hygiene contexts.

Related Words

Antonym: 清潔(せいけつ) (clean, hygienic)
Compare: 汚(きたな)い (broader 'dirty' (colloquial))
Compare: 淫(みだ)ら (lewd)
general
Added 2026.1.13 20:59 · Revised 2026.9.2 12:02
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