(Joy cleaning a room [Kirei] vs. Joy admiring a sunset [Utsukushii])
“This room is clean.”
“The sunset is beautiful.”
In Japanese, きれい (Kirei) is used for both “Pretty” and “Clean”. On the other hand, 美しい (Utsukushii) is for something deeply moving or artistic. Let’s learn the difference with Joy and Ken!
🗣 Conversation Scene
Joy finished cleaning her room and is now looking at a photo album.
あ、この富士山（ふじさん）の写真（しゃしん）、きれい ですね。
(I cleaned, and my room became “clean”! Oh, this photo of Mt. Fuji is “pretty”.)
富士山のような感動的（かんどうてき）な景色（けしき）は、美しい と言うこともできますよ。
(It’s good that the room is tidy. For moving scenery like Mt. Fuji, you can also say “Utsukushii”.)
💡 Explanation
Check the “Cleanliness” and “Grammar Type”.
Point 1: Kirei (きれい) = Clean / Pretty
Type: Na-Adjective (きれいな)
This word has two meanings: “Visually pretty” and “Clean/Sanitary”. It is a very common, everyday word.
- 手が きれい になりました。
(My hands became clean [after washing].) - きれいな 花（はな）ですね。
(It is a pretty flower.)
Point 2: Utsukushii (美しい) = Beautiful / Artistic
Type: I-Adjective (美しい)
This describes something deeply touching, artistic, or majestic. It sounds more formal and poetic than “Kirei”. It does NOT mean “clean”.
- 美しい 日本語（にほんご）を 話（はな）します。
(He speaks beautiful/refined Japanese.) - なんて 美しい 夕日（ゆうひ）でしょう。
(What a beautiful sunset.)
📊 Comparison Table
🚧 Joy’s Mistake
(After cleaning the bathroom)
❌ Wrong: トイレが 美（うつく）しく なりました！
(Using “Utsukushii” for a toilet sounds too poetic and dramatic, unless it’s a golden toilet!)
✅ Right: トイレが きれい に なりました！
(Use “Kirei” for “Clean”. Note: Kirei is a Na-adj, so it becomes “Kirei ni”.)
🔥 Practice Quiz
Tap to check the answer!
