カビ

カビ is the fungus that appears as fuzzy patches on damp food, walls, and fabric. Normally written in katakana; the kanji 黴(かび) exists but is rare.

Verb patterns

• カビが生(は)える: mould grows (the everyday phrase)
• カビが発生(はっせい)する: mould develops (more formal, used in notices)
• カビを取(と)る: to remove mould

Common collocations

• 黒(くろ)カビ, 青(あお)カビ: black mould, blue mould
• カビ臭(くさ)い: musty, smelling of mould
• カビ取(と)り剤(ざい): mould remover (a supermarket staple)

Cultural note

Japan's summer is humid, and the 梅雨(つゆ) (rainy season) in particular makes mould a routine household worry. Airing rooms, running 換気(かんき) fans in the 浴室(よくしつ), and using moisture absorbers are ordinary parts of the domestic calendar rather than emergency measures.