お手洗い

Polite term for restroom or toilet

Readings

Other forms

トイレ common, neutral synonym

便所 benjo - blunt/crude synonym

御手洗 less common kanji

Noun

Restroom" / "Toilet

A polite euphemism for the bathroom that focuses on the act of hand-washing to avoid direct references to the toilet.

Good to know

お手洗い means restroom or toilet in a polite, indirect way. It literally refers to washing hands, similar to English “restroom” or “washroom.”

Use お手洗い when asking staff in a restaurant, store, hotel, or office. It is also safe when visiting someone’s home or speaking with someone you do not know well.

Word choice matters:

お手洗い = polite and safe トイレ = neutral, common with friends and family 便所（べんじょ） = rough or old-fashioned. Avoid it in polite situations.

A useful asking pattern is お手洗いはどこですか。”}]}ų? 优博? wait final must JSON matching schema. Include weird Japanese quote? Need ensure valid JSON. I output perhaps not exactly? Need final only JSON. We have final already? There is issue with quote .

Example

すみません、お手洗いはどこですか。

Excuse me, where is the restroom?

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お手洗い

おてあらい

Polite term for restroom or toilet

Example

この言葉を覚えましょう。

Let's memorize this word.

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