What is the difference between "ふく" and "拭く"?

"ふく" means "clothes" (N5), whereas "拭く" represents "to wipe, to dry" (N4).

Kanji Homophone Battle

Pronunciation Trap: "ふく (fuku)"

Same sound, completely different Kanji! Choose the right conceptual writing.

Kanji Option A

ふく (fuku)

N5 / CEFR

Kanji Option B

ふく (fuku)

N4 / CEFR

In Japanese, many words share the exact same pronunciation "ふく (fuku)" but are written with different Kanji, changing the meaning entirely.

ふく (Level: N5): Translates to "clothes" and is used when General term for clothing. The verb for wearing clothes is 着る.
拭く (Level: N4): Maps to "to wipe, to dry" and carries the nuance of Transitive verb for cleaning or drying a surface with a cloth, paper, etc..

Mixing these up can easily result in unnatural writing. Look at the bilingual context cards below to master the conceptual boundaries!

Bilingual Context for "ふく"

新しいふくを買いました。

I bought new clothes.

Bilingual Context for "拭く"

テーブルをきれいに拭いてください。

Please wipe the table clean.

Which Kanji perfectly fits this blank space?

Which Kanji perfectly fits the blank: "新しい＿＿＿を買いました。" (Meaning: "I bought new clothes.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Correct! "ふく" is used for "clothes" in the context: "I bought new clothes.".