Meaning and Usage
"汗" (あせ) means sweat or perspiration, the liquid produced by the body to cool down. It is commonly used in everyday conversation when talking about physical activity, nervousness, or heat.
Common Collocations
- 汗をかく (あせをかく): to sweat; used to describe the act of sweating.
- 汗が出る (あせがでる): sweat comes out; often used to describe nervousness or heat.
- 汗を拭く (あせをふく): to wipe sweat; a common action after sweating.
Usage Notes
"汗" is a noun and often appears with verbs like かく (to shed) or 拭く (to wipe). It can describe both physical sweat from exercise or heat, and metaphorical sweat from nervousness or stress. Be careful not to confuse "汗" with "脂" (しぼう, fat/oil), which is different.
Register and Politeness
"汗" is neutral and appropriate in both casual and formal contexts. It is a very common word used in daily life.
Common Mistake
Learners sometimes omit the verb かく when talking about sweating. Remember that "汗" alone is a noun, so you usually say "汗をかく" to express "to sweat."