湿 — Wet, Damp, Humid

Meaning

This section explores the kanji 湿 (shitsu), a versatile character used to describe anything from a damp towel to the humid summer air. Essentially, 湿 means wet, damp, or humid. It perfectly captures the feeling of a sticky, rainy day or the condensation on a cold drink.

To better understand 湿, we will examine its visual structure and origin. As a phono-semantic compound, 湿 combines a component suggesting its meaning with another hinting at its sound. On the left, you'll find the familiar 氵 (さんずい, sanzui) 'water' radical, an immediate clue that the kanji relates to water or liquids. On the right is a component that evolved from 显 (xiǎn). Historically, 显 meant 'to appear' or 'visible' and also functioned as a phonetic element in ancient Chinese, giving the kanji its 'shitsu' (or similar) sound. This combination evokes the image of 'water appearing' or 'water manifesting itself,' beautifully capturing the essence of something becoming damp or humid.

This kanji has 12 strokes. It is a Joyo (common use) kanji, typically introduced to Japanese students around Grade 6. This makes it an essential character, especially for those targeting the N2 JLPT level. Once you understand 湿, you'll encounter it frequently in contexts related to weather, indoor environments, and even personal feelings.

Readings

With the meaning clear, this section explores how 湿 is pronounced in Japanese. Like many kanji, it has both On'yomi (Chinese-derived readings) and Kun'yomi (native Japanese readings).

On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings

The primary On'yomi for 湿 is シツ (shitsu). This reading is very common and appears in many compound words related to humidity, moisture, and damp conditions. You'll often hear it when discussing weather or environmental conditions.

湿度しつど (shitsudo) — Literally 'wet degree,' this word means humidity. For example, 今日きょうは湿度しつどが高たかいですね。 (Kyou wa shitsudo ga takai desu ne.) means "The humidity is high today, isn't it?"
湿気しっけ (shikke) — This word refers to moisture or dampness. Note the small 'っ' (tsu), which indicates a geminate consonant sound. For instance, 部屋へやに湿気しっけが多おおい。 (Heya ni shikke ga ooi.) means "There's a lot of moisture in the room."
高湿こうしつ (kōshitsu) — Meaning high humidity, this term describes particularly muggy conditions. For instance, 高湿こうしつな気候きこうは少すこし苦手にがてです。 (Kōshitsu na kikō wa sukoshi nigate desu.) means "I'm not very good with highly humid climates."

Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings

The Kun'yomi for 湿 provide verbs that describe the action or state of something becoming wet or damp, or making it so. These readings are often used on their own or with okurigana (trailing hiragana).

しめ-る (shime-ru) — This intransitive verb means 'to get damp' or 'to become wet,' describing a change of state.
湿るしめる (shimeru) — to get damp. Example: 洗濯物せんたくものが湿しめっている。 (Sentakumono ga shimette iru.) meaning "The laundry is damp."
湿ったしめった (shimatta) — This is the past tense form, often used adjectivally to mean 'damp' or 'moist.' Example: 湿しめった空気くうき。 (Shimatta kūki.) meaning "Damp air."
しめ-す (shime-su) — This transitive verb means 'to wet,' 'to moisten,' or 'to dampen' something, describing the act of making something wet.
湿すしめす (shimesu) — to wet, moisten. Example: 布ぬのを水みずで湿しめす。 (Nuno wo mizu de shimesu.) meaning "To moisten a cloth with water."
うるお-う (uruo-u) and うるお-す (uruo-su) — While technically Kun'yomi for 湿, these are more commonly written with the kanji 潤. They mean 'to be moistened/enriched' (intransitive) and 'to moisten/enrich' (transitive), respectively. When used with 湿, they carry a similar meaning. However, 潤 has a stronger nuance of 'enrichment' or 'lubrication' beyond just simple wetness. For general dampness, しめる and しめす are usually preferred.

Common Words & Compounds

Here are more practical words and compounds using 湿 to expand your vocabulary. This shows how versatile the kanji is when combined with others to express various nuances of 'wetness' and 'humidity'.

湿度しつど (shitsudo) — Humidity. (e.g., 夏なつは湿度しつどが高たかい。 — Summer has high humidity.)
湿気しっけ (shikke) — Moisture, dampness. (e.g., 部屋へやの湿気しっけが気きになる。 — I'm concerned about the dampness in the room.)
湿るしめる (shimeru) — To get damp/wet (intransitive verb). (e.g., 服ふくが湿しめってしまった。 — My clothes got damp.)
湿すしめす (shimesu) — To wet/moisten (transitive verb). (e.g., 乾かわいた唇くちびるを湿しめす。 — To moisten dry lips.)
湿布しっぷ (shippu) — Poultice, compress (a wet cloth for medical use). (e.g., 熱ねつがあるから湿布しっぷを貼はろう。 — I have a fever, so let's put on a compress.)
湿疹しっしん (shisshin) — Eczema, rash (a 'wet' skin condition). (e.g., 肌はだに湿疹しっしんができた。 — I got an eczema rash on my skin.)
湿地しっち (shicchi) — Wetland, marsh. (e.g., 鳥とりがたくさんいる湿地しっちだ。 — It's a wetland where many birds live.)
湿原しつげん (shitsugen) — Marshland, moor (similar to 湿地, often larger or more expansive). (e.g., 北海道ほっかいどうには広大こうだいな湿原しつげんがある。 — There are vast marshlands in Hokkaido.)
多湿たしつ (tashitsu) — High humidity. (e.g., 日本にほんの夏なつは多湿たしつだ。 — Japanese summers are highly humid.)
乾燥かんそうと湿潤しつじゅん (kansō to shitsujun) — Dryness and humidity/moisture. (e.g., 肌はだの乾燥かんそうと湿潤しつじゅんのバランス。 — The balance between skin dryness and moisture.)
加湿器かしつき (kashitsuki) — Humidifier (a device that adds moisture to the air). (e.g., 冬ふゆは加湿器かしつきを使つかう。 — I use a humidifier in winter.)
除湿器じょしつき (joshitsuki) — Dehumidifier (a device that removes moisture from the air). (e.g., 梅雨つゆの時期じきは除湿器じょしつきが必要ひつようだ。 — A dehumidifier is necessary during the rainy season.)

Example Sentences

Here are some practical sentences demonstrating 湿 in action. Pay attention to how the context changes its specific nuance, from describing weather to objects and even feelings.

梅雨つゆの時期じきは部屋へやが湿気しっける。

Tsuyu no jiki wa heya ga shikkeru.

During the rainy season, the room gets damp.

洗濯物せんたくものが湿しめっているので、まだ乾かわかない。

Sentakumono ga shimette iru node, mada kawakanai.

Since the laundry is damp, it hasn't dried yet.

今日きょうは湿度しつどが高たかくて、とても蒸むし暑あつい。

Kyō wa shitsudo ga takakute, totemo mushiatsui.

Today, the humidity is high, and it's very muggy.

雨あめの後あと、空気くうきが湿しめり、土つちの匂においがした。

Ame no ato, kūki ga shimeri, tsuchi no nioi ga shita.

After the rain, the air became damp, and I smelled the earth.

この地域ちいきは夏なつに多湿たしつになるため、除湿器じょしつきが欠かかせない。

Kono chiiki wa natsu ni tashitsu ni naru tame, joshitsuki ga kakasenai.

This area becomes highly humid in summer, so a dehumidifier is indispensable.

乾燥かんそうした肌はだを潤うるおすために、化粧水けしょうすいで湿しめらせる。

Kansō shita hada wo uruosu tame ni, keshō-sui de shimeraseru.

To moisturize dry skin, I dampen it with toner.

熱ねつがあるときは、額ひたいに湿布しっぷを貼はると気持きもちがいい。

Netsu ga aru toki wa, hitai ni shippu wo haru to kimochi ga ii.

When you have a fever, putting a cold compress on your forehead feels good.

古ふるい本ほんが湿気しっけて変色へんしょくしてしまった。

Furui hon ga shikkete henshoku shite shimatta.

The old book became damp and discolored.

風邪かぜをひいたときは、部屋へやの湿度しつどを保たもつために加湿器かしつきを使つかうといい。

Kaze wo hiita toki wa, heya no shitsudo wo tamotsu tame ni kashitsuki wo tsukau to ii.

When you catch a cold, it's good to use a humidifier to maintain the room's humidity.

彼女かのじょの声こえは少すこし湿しめり気味ぎみで、悲かなしそうだった。

Kanojo no koe wa sukoshi shimeri-gimi de, kanashisō datta.

Her voice was a little melancholic, sounding sad.

Memory Tip

Here's a memory trick to help you remember 湿! Focus on the left side: it's the 氵 (sanzui) radical, clearly meaning 'water.' This is a key clue. Now, look at the right side. It originally came from 显, meaning 'to appear' or 'visible.' You can thus visualize 湿 as 'water appearing' or 'water becoming visible' on a surface. This imagery helps connect it to something becoming damp or humid. For example, imagine a windowpane on a chilly morning, where water droplets appear and make it wet. Or think of the air, where moisture becomes noticeable, causing humidity. The 'water' radical points to the meaning, and the 'appear' component helps you connect it to the sensation of wetness or dampness becoming manifest.