おしぼり

おしぼり
noun
wet towel; hand towel
1. wet towel; hand towel; hot or cold towelette
A small moistened towel provided at restaurants and other establishments for customers to clean their hands before eating.
おしぼりで()()いた。
I wiped my hands with the wet towel.
(つめ)たいおしぼりが気持(きも)ちいい。
The cold towel feels nice.
(せき)()いたら、まずおしぼりが()てきた。
When I sat down, they first brought out a wet towel.

おしぼり is a standard service at Japanese restaurants, izakaya, and many other establishments.

VARIETIES:

  • (あたた)かいおしぼり: warm towel (common in winter)
  • (つめ)たいおしぼり: cold towel (common in summer)
  • (かみ)おしぼり: disposable paper towelette

USAGE NOTE:

  • おしぼり is used only for hands, not face (though some people do wipe their face with it).
  • Can be written as お(しぼ)り in kanji, though hiragana is more common.