汚(きたな)い

きたない
i-adjective
dirty
descriptive
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present汚(きたな)い汚(きたな)くない
Past汚(きたな)かった汚(きたな)くなかった
て form汚(きたな)くて汚(きたな)くなくて
Adverbial汚(きたな)く—
Conditional ば汚(きたな)ければ汚(きたな)くなければ
Conditional たら汚(きたな)かったら汚(きたな)くなかったら
1. dirty, unclean
Not clean, covered with dirt or stains. Can describe physical dirtiness.
手(て)が汚(きたな)いです。洗(あら)ってください。
Your hands are dirty. Please wash them.
部屋(へや)が汚(きたな)いですね。
The room is dirty, isn't it?
汚(きたな)い服(ふく)を着(き)ないでください。
Please don't wear dirty clothes.
子供(こども)は外(そと)で遊(あそ)んで、手(て)も顔(かお)も汚(きたな)くなった。
The child played outside and got both their hands and face dirty.
川(かわ)の水(みず)が汚(きたな)い。
The river water is dirty.
汚(きたな)い字(じ)ですみません。
Sorry for my messy handwriting.
2. unfair, underhanded; crude, vulgar
Describes behaviour or language that is morally dirty rather than physically dirty: dishonest, unfair, or foul-mouthed.
それは汚(きたな)いやり方(かた)です。
That's a dirty/unfair way of doing things.
Figurative use
汚(きたな)い言葉(ことば)を使(つか)わないでください。
Please don't use dirty words.
Figurative: 汚い言葉 = crude or foul language, not physical dirt
汚(きたな)い手(て)を使(つか)うな！
Don't play dirty!
それは汚(きたな)い商売(しょうばい)だ。
That's a shady business practice.

汚(きたな)い is an i-adjective meaning dirty (physical or moral).

Forms

  • Adverbial: 汚(きたな)く
  • Noun form: 汚(きたな)さ (dirtiness)
  • Related verbs: 汚(よご)れる (to get dirty, intransitive) and 汚(よご)す (to make dirty, transitive). Note the different reading よご〜 for the verbs.
  • Intensified: 汚(きたな)らしい (filthy, disgusting)

Two meanings

1. Physical: 汚(きたな)い部屋(へや) (dirty room)
2. Moral: 汚(きたな)いやり方(かた) (underhanded method)

Common expressions

Similar words

きれい (clean, pretty). In polite situations, きれいじゃない may be preferred over 汚(きたな)い, which can sound harsh.

Related Words

Antonym: きれい (clean, pretty)
Related: 汚(きたな)らしい (filthy, grimy (stronger))
Related: 汚(よご)れる (to become dirty (intransitive verb))
Related: 汚(よご)す (to make dirty (transitive verb))
Related: 汚(よご)れ (dirt, stain, filth)
Compare: 乱雑(らんざつ)な (cluttered)
basic
Added 2026.1.7 21:23 · Revised 2026.9.4 21:29
00500/00788_kitanai