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
daily-lifeaction
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(かみ)にブラシをかける。
To brush one's hair.
出(で)かける前(まえ)にスーツにブラシをかけた。
I brushed my suit before going out.
犬(いぬ)のお腹(なか)にブラシをかけると、とても気持(きも)ちよさそうにしている。
When I brush the dog's belly, he looks really happy.
革(かわ)靴(ぐつ)は履(は)いたあとに柔(やわ)らかいブラシをかけて、ほこりを落(お)としておくと長持(ながも)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(そうじき)をかける 'to vacuum', ワックスをかける 'to wax').

Usage

The particle pattern is 対象(たいしょう)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(かみ)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(はら)う).

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 磨(みが)く: to polish; to brush (teeth) — 歯(は)を磨(みが)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(くし)でとく: to comb — with a comb rather than a brush
  • ほこりを払(はら)う: to brush off / dust off — emphasizes removing dust rather than the act of brushing itself

Related Words

Compare: 磨(みが)く (to polish)
general
Added 2026.4.15 0:04 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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