Word
便所
Meaning in Englishtoilet, lavatory
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 便所 mean? It means toilet or restroom; a facility used for urination and defecation, typically found in homes, workplaces, and public spaces.
Main meanings
- Toilet/restroom as a facility for relieving oneself
- Public toilet, commonly referenced in signage or official language
- Archaic or formal usage, less common in casual speech
How to use it
Used in formal, written, and historical contexts; in everyday conversation, speakers prefer トイレ or お手洗い; 便所 appears in signage, official documents, or literature, where a formal or old-fashioned tone is desired.
Variants and close terms
- トイレ (toire) — common modern term
- お手洗い (otearai) — polite daily term
- 公衆便所 (koushuubenjo) — public toilet
- 男性用便所 / 女性用便所 (dansei-yō benjo / josei-yō benjo) — gendered variants
Composition
- 便 — convenience, facility; used in compounds to denote something designed for a function
- 所 — place, location; combined with 便 to indicate a place related to a function
- 便所 as a single unit conveys a place designed for the purpose of convenient relief
Etymology
ben and jo are the on'yomi readings for 便 and 所; together they form the pronunciation benjo for the compound 便所; the reading remains on'yomi in modern Japanese.
Word class
Noun (名詞)