Japanese Around the Home: Bath Tub

Phrase:

Romaji: Basutabu de oyu ni tsukaru no ga kimochi ii desu.

Meaning: Soaking in hot water in the bathtub feels good.

Word Breakdown and Significance:

• バスタブ (Basutabu)
  • Meaning: Bathtub.
  • Etymology: A loanword from English (“bathtub”).
  • Type: Noun.
  • Significance: Reflects the use of katakana for foreign-origin words, especially related to modern objects.
• で (De)
  • Meaning: Indicates the location where an action takes place (in this case, “in the bathtub”).
  • Type: Particle.
  • Significance: Essential for expressing “where” actions occur in Japanese grammar.
• お湯 (Oyu)
  • Meaning: Hot water.
  • Type: Noun.
  • Significance: The prefix お (o) adds politeness. 湯 (yu) alone means “hot water,” but お湯 is the more polite/common form.
• につかる (Ni tsukaru)
  • Meaning: To soak (in water, usually a bath).
  • Type: Verb.
  • Significance:
    • Expresses the act of immersing oneself, often used with baths or hot springs.
    • Requires the particle に (ni) to indicate the target of the action (hot water in this case).
• の (No)
  • Meaning: Turns the preceding clause into a noun (nominalizer).
  • Function: Makes the clause お湯につかる (“soaking in hot water”) into the subject of the sentence.
• が (Ga)
  • Meaning: Marks the subject of the sentence.
  • Significance: Indicates that “soaking in hot water” is the thing that feels good.
• 気持ちいい (Kimochi ii)
  • Meaning: Feels good, comfortable.
  • Type: い-adjective.
  • Significance:
    • A combination of 気持ち (kimochi), meaning “feeling,” and いい (ii), meaning “good.”
    • Commonly used to describe pleasant sensations.
• です (Desu)
  • Meaning: Is, am, are (polite copula).
  • Significance: Adds politeness and formality to the sentence.

Words of Significance: