サッシ

さっし
noun
window sash; window frame (esp. an aluminum sliding-window frame)
1. the metal (typically aluminum) frame holding the glass of a sliding window or door, or by extension the entire factory-made window unit; a window sash
Borrowed from English 'sash'. In Japanese, the word almost always refers to the aluminum frame of a sliding window — by far the most common type of window in Japanese houses and apartments — and by extension to the whole prefabricated window unit (frame plus glass plus rails). Wooden or steel frames are sometimes also called サッシ but the strong default is aluminum. The phrase アルミサッシ ('aluminum sash') is so closely associated with the basic word that the two are often used interchangeably.
サッシのレールを掃除(そうじ)した。
I cleaned the rail of the window frame.
古(ふる)いサッシは冷気(れいき)を通(とお)しやすい。
Old window sashes let cold air in easily.
リフォームの際(さい)に、古(ふる)い窓(まど)を二重(にじゅう)サッシに交換(こうかん)した。
When we renovated, we replaced the old windows with double-glazed ones.
結露(けつろ)でサッシのまわりに黒(くろ)いカビが生(は)えてしまったので、丁寧(ていねい)に拭(ふ)き取(と)った。
Black mold had grown around the window frame because of condensation, so I carefully wiped it away.

Borrowed from English 'sash' (the frame of a window). In Japanese the word has narrowed to refer almost exclusively to factory-made aluminum window frames and their rails. The English meaning 'a sash worn around the waist' is not part of the Japanese word.

USAGE:
In Japanese houses and apartments, sliding aluminum-frame windows became standard from the 1960s onward, replacing earlier wooden frames. As a result, サッシ today is closely associated with that style of window. Window-related words like レール ('rail'), 戸車(とぐるま) ('roller'), 窓(まど)枠(わく) ('window frame'), and 結露(けつろ) ('condensation') often appear in the same context.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • アルミサッシ: aluminum window sash
  • 二重(にじゅう)サッシ: double window (an additional inner window installed for insulation)
  • サッシのレール: the rail/track of a window frame
  • サッシの溝(みぞ): the groove of a window frame
  • サッシを掃除(そうじ)する: to clean the window frame
  • サッシを拭(ふ)く: to wipe down the window frame
  • サッシを交換(こうかん)する: to replace the window sashes
  • サッシに結露(けつろ)する: for condensation to form on the window frame
  • サッシのカビ: mold on the window frame
  • サッシ屋(や): a window-frame contractor; a sash dealer

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 窓(まど): window — the general word; refers to the whole opening or to the glass.
  • 窓(まど)枠(わく): window frame — a near-synonym of サッシ; the more native, descriptive word, less specifically tied to aluminum.
  • 引(ひ)き戸(ど): sliding door/window — refers to the sliding mechanism; commonly used about Japanese sliding doors and windows.
  • 網戸(あみど): screen door/window — the bug-screen panel that slides alongside a サッシ.
  • 雨戸(あまど): storm shutter — the outer sliding shutter that protects the window.

CULTURAL NOTE:
Many Japanese homes built in the late 20th century used single-pane aluminum サッシ, which conduct heat poorly and are prone to condensation in winter. As awareness of energy efficiency has grown, retrofitting older homes with 二重(にじゅう)サッシ (double sashes) or 内窓(うちまど) (inner windows) has become a popular renovation, marketed as a way to reduce heating bills and prevent mold.

general
Added 2026.4.12 10:47
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