Meaning and Usage
The verb 汚す (よごす) means "to make dirty" or "to pollute." It is a transitive verb, so it always takes a direct object that is being dirtied or polluted. This word is commonly used in everyday situations, such as dirtying clothes or hands, as well as in environmental contexts like polluting rivers or air.
Common Collocations
- 服を汚す (ふくをよごす): to dirty clothes
- 川を汚す (かわをよごす): to pollute a river
- 手を汚す (てをよごす): literally "to dirty hands," often used figuratively to mean getting involved in unpleasant or morally questionable work
Register and Nuance
汚す is neutral in formality and can be used in casual and polite contexts. It often implies a negative effect on cleanliness or purity. When used figuratively, such as 手を汚す, it can imply moral or ethical contamination.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 汚す with 汚れる (よごれる), which is the intransitive form meaning "to become dirty." Remember, 汚す requires a direct object (something being dirtied), while 汚れる describes the state of becoming dirty by itself.