ブラシをかける
ぶらしをかける
expression
to brush (hair, clothes, teeth, etc.); to apply a brush to
1.
to brush (hair, clothes, a surface); to give (something) a brushing
A verb phrase meaning to apply a brush to something — most commonly one's hair, clothes, pets, or shoes. The combination of ブラシ (brush) with かける ('to apply, to run over') expresses the action of using a brush in one smooth movement across a surface.
髪にブラシをかける。
To brush one's hair.
出かける前にスーツにブラシをかけた。
I brushed my suit before going out.
犬のお腹にブラシをかけると、とても気持ちよさそうにしている。
When I brush the dog's belly, he looks really happy.
革靴は履いたあとに柔らかいブラシをかけて、ほこりを落としておくと長持ちする。
Leather shoes will last longer if you brush them with a soft brush to remove dust after wearing them.
An idiomatic combination of ブラシ (brush) with かける, one of the most productive Japanese verbs for 'applying' a tool, substance, or action to an object (compare アイロンをかける 'to iron', 掃除機をかける 'to vacuum', ワックスをかける 'to wax').
USAGE:
The particle pattern is 対象に / を + ブラシをかける. Japanese tends to use に for the item being brushed (the location or target of the brushing), mirroring the pattern of other かける expressions: 髪にブラシをかける, コートにブラシをかける. Use を is also possible for the brushed item when it is treated as a direct object (more common with ほこり 'dust' in the sense of brushing dust off, e.g., ほこりをブラシで払う).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 髪にブラシをかける: to brush one's hair
- 服 / スーツ / コートにブラシをかける: to brush clothes
- 犬/猫にブラシをかける: to brush a dog / cat
- 靴にブラシをかける: to brush shoes
- 軽くブラシをかける: to give a light brushing
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 磨く: to polish; to brush (teeth) — 歯を磨く is the standard way to say 'brush one's teeth', not ブラシをかける
- ブラッシングする: to brush (especially hair or a pet) — a more casual loanword verb, often used in beauty and pet-care contexts
- 櫛でとく: to comb — with a comb rather than a brush
- ほこりを払う: to brush off / dust off — emphasizes removing dust rather than the act of brushing itself