1.
restroom, toilet, bathroom
A polite term for the toilet or restroom.
お手洗いはどこですか。
Where is the restroom?
お手洗いに行ってきます。
I'm going to the restroom.
お手洗いを借りてもいいですか。
May I use the restroom?
すみません、この店にお手洗いはありますか。
Excuse me, does this shop have a restroom?
食事の前にお手洗いで手を洗ってきた。
I went and washed my hands in the restroom before the meal.
お手洗い is a polite, euphemistic term for restroom or toilet, suitable for formal situations.
COMPONENTS:
- お: honorific prefix
- 手: hand
- 洗い: washing (from 洗う)
LITERAL MEANING: 'place to wash hands' - a polite way to refer to the toilet.
POLITENESS LEVELS (toilet words):
- お手洗い: restroom (polite, safe for any situation)
- トイレ: toilet (neutral, common in everyday speech)
- 化粧室: powder room (formal, often used in announcements)
- 洗面所: washroom (neutral, focuses on the sink area)
- 便所: toilet (direct, can sound crude)
- 厠: privy (old-fashioned, literary)
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- お手洗いはどこですか: Where is the restroom?
- お手洗いに行ってきます: I'm going to the restroom.
- お手洗いを借りてもいいですか: May I use the restroom?