すす
すす
noun
soot; black residue from smoke
1.
soot; black residue from incomplete combustion
The fine black particles that deposit on surfaces from smoke, especially from wood fires, candles, or exhaust. A common byproduct of traditional Japanese hearths and stoves.
天井にすすが付いた。
Soot collected on the ceiling.
鍋の底がすすで真っ黒になった。
The bottom of the pot turned completely black with soot.
年末に家中のすすを払って新年を迎える習慣がある。
There is a custom of sweeping soot from the entire house at year's end to welcome the new year.
Written in kanji as 煤, but hiragana is the standard form in modern usage. Soot was a familiar substance in traditional Japanese homes that used 囲炉裏 (open hearths) and 竈 (cooking stoves).
CULTURAL NOTE:
すす払い (soot sweeping) is a traditional year-end cleaning custom, originally performed at temples and shrines on December 13th. It marks the beginning of preparations for the New Year.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- すすが付く — soot collects
- すすを払う — to sweep away soot
- すす払い — year-end soot sweeping (cleaning ritual)
- すすだらけ — covered in soot
- すすけた — sooty, smoke-stained
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 灰 — ash (the powdery residue left after combustion, as opposed to the black deposit)
- 煙 — smoke (the airborne particles, not the deposited residue)
- ほこり — dust (general household dust, not from combustion)