TODAY’S WORD | from Hiragana Times “Spotlight”
ごみ拾い
go · mi · hi · ro · i
Say it in 5 beats: go-mi-hi-ro-i
ごみ gomi = trash ＋ 拾い hiroi = picking up
“picking up trash” — and in Tokyo, it becomes a treasure hunt
“Why is Tokyo so clean?” Visitors from overseas often ask this. According to Hiragana Times, the number of foreign travelers visiting Tokyo has hit a record high three years in a row, and Tokyo Governor KOIKE Yuriko says she is often asked the question directly.
To keep the city clean, Tokyo fully launched “KEEP TOKYO CLEAN” this summer, with a playful idea: turn ごみ拾い (gomi hiroi, picking up trash) into a game. The article’s title says it in one line: ごみ拾いが「宝探し」になる — picking up trash becomes a treasure hunt. Learn this word, and you also learn how to say “A becomes B” in Japanese.
Read and say ごみ拾い in 5 even beats, use the pattern A が B になる (A becomes B), learn three “clean city” words — 拾う, 持ち帰る and ポイ捨て — and say two sentences in Japanese about your own trash habits. Allow about 15–20 minutes.
How to read the Japanese on this page: small hiragana under each kanji show how to read it. Under each Japanese line you’ll find romaji (gray) and English.
Read & Say | ごみ拾い, sound by sound
ごみ拾い has 5 beats. In Japanese, each beat takes the same length of time. The kanji 拾 is read ひろ (hiro) and takes 2 beats on its own.
- ご (go) is a short, pure “o.” Don’t glide it into “goh-oo” as in English “go.”
- ろ (ro): the Japanese “r” is a light tap of the tongue — close to the quick “tt” in American English “butter.” Don’t curl your tongue back.
- ろ・い (ro, i) are two separate beats. Don’t blend them into “roy.” Give the last い (i) a full beat, and count go-mi-hi-ro-i on five fingers.
- Two parts: ごみ (gomi, trash) is written in hiragana. 拾い (hiroi) comes from the verb 拾う (hirou, to pick up).
Do you do gomi hiroi?
Think first: In your town, do you see trash on the street? Have you ever picked up litter or taken your trash home after a picnic? And if picking up trash were a game, would you join? A note in any language is fine.
Read Aloud | gomi hiroi in Hiragana Times
Here are some lines from the Hiragana Times Spotlight article about ごみ拾い. Read the English first, then try the Japanese.
A City Where Picking Up Trash Becomes a “Treasure Hunt”
ごみ拾いが「宝探し」になる街
Gomi hiroi ga “takarasagashi” ni naru machi
On the other hand, littering has become noticeable at tourist spots and in busy downtown areas.
一方で、観光地や繁華街ではポイ捨てが目立つようになりました。
Ippō de, kankōchi ya hankagai de wa poisute ga medatsu yō ni narimashita.
Along with spreading manners such as not littering and taking your trash home, it also supports local cleanup activities and the installation of smart trash bins, which compress trash so they can hold a large amount.
ポイ捨てをしない、ごみは持ち帰る、といったマナーを広めるとともに、地域の清掃活動や、ごみを圧縮してたくさんためられるスマートごみ箱の設置も支えています。
Poisute o shinai, gomi wa mochikaeru, to itta manā o hiromeru to tomo ni, chiiki no seisō katsudō ya, gomi o asshuku shite takusan tamerareru sumāto gomibako no secchi mo sasaete imasu.
A prime example is “SPOGOMI,” a trash-picking sport in which teams compete by turning the trash they collect into points.
その代表が「スポGOMI」。チームを組み、拾ったごみを点数にして競う、ごみ拾いのスポーツです。
Sono daihyō ga “Supo GOMI”. Chīmu o kumi, hirotta gomi o tensū ni shite kisou, gomi hiroi no supōtsu desu.
ISHIKAWA Naohiro, a former member of Japan’s national soccer team who took part, looks back and says picking up trash turned into “picking up treasure.”
参加した元サッカー日本代表の石川直宏さんは、ごみ拾いが「宝拾い」になったと振り返ります。
Sanka shita moto sakkā Nihon daihyō no Ishikawa Naohiro-san wa, gomi hiroi ga “takara hiroi” ni natta to furikaerimasu.
Seeing someone pick up trash, someone else picks it up too.
誰かが拾う姿を見て、また誰かが拾う。
Dareka ga hirou sugata o mite, mata dareka ga hirou.
Read-aloud task: Read each Japanese line aloud — first slowly, following the romaji, then again looking only at the hiragana. Each time you meet ごみ拾い or 拾う (hirou), keep the beats even. Listen to yourself for ポイ捨て (poisute, littering) and 持ち帰る (mochikaeru, to take home).
The example sentences, conversation and quiz below were written by We Languages for learning. They are not quotes from the article.
“Becomes” | ごみ拾いが〜になる
The title is built on a key pattern: A が B になる — “A becomes B.” Put が (ga) after the thing that changes and に (ni) after the result. In the past tense, なる (naru) becomes なった (natta).
ごみ拾いが宝探しになる。
Gomi hiroi ga takarasagashi ni naru.
Picking up trash becomes a treasure hunt.
ごみ拾いが宝拾いになった。
Gomi hiroi ga takara hiroi ni natta.
Picking up trash turned into picking up treasure.
ごみが点数になる。
Gomi ga tensū ni naru.
Trash turns into points.
街がきれいになる。
Machi ga kirei ni naru.
The city becomes clean.
Tip: きれい (kirei, clean) is a な-adjective, so it also takes に: きれいになる (kirei ni naru). And notice the wordplay in the article: 宝探し (takarasagashi, treasure hunt) and 宝拾い (takara hiroi, picking up treasure). Swap ごみ for 宝 (takara, treasure), and a chore becomes a game.
Words around gomi hiroi | 拾う・持ち帰る・ポイ捨て
- 拾う (hirou) = to pick up. Its -い form, 拾い (hiroi), works as a noun: ごみ拾い = “picking up trash.” Past tense: 拾った (hirotta).
- 持ち帰る (mochikaeru) = 持つ (motsu, to hold) + 帰る (kaeru, to go home): “to take home.” It is one of the manners named in the article: ごみは持ち帰る.
- ポイ捨て (poisute) = littering. ポイ (poi) is the sound of tossing something away without a thought, and 捨て comes from 捨てる (suteru, to throw away).
公園でごみを拾いました。
Kōen de gomi o hiroimashita.
I picked up trash in the park.
ごみは持ち帰ってください。
Gomi wa mochikaette kudasai.
Please take your trash home.
ポイ捨てはしません。
Poisute wa shimasen.
I don’t litter.
Key Words | Words to talk about gomi hiroi
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| ごみ拾い | gomi hiroi | picking up trash |
| 拾う | hirou | to pick up |
| ポイ捨て | poisute | littering |
| 持ち帰る | mochikaeru | to take home |
| 宝探し | takarasagashi | treasure hunt |
| 〜が〜になる | … ga … ni naru | A becomes B |
| 点数 | tensū | points, score |
| 義務 | gimu | duty |
| 遊び | asobi | play |
Mini Dialogue | Use gomi hiroi in a conversation
A invites B to go picking up trash. This is casual Japanese between friends.
A：週末、ごみ拾いに行かない？
Shūmatsu, gomi hiroi ni ikanai?
Do you want to go pick up trash this weekend?
B：ごみ拾い？ちょっと面倒だな。
Gomi hiroi? Chotto mendō da na.
Picking up trash? That sounds like a bit of a hassle.
A：チームで拾って、点数を競うんだよ。
Chīmu de hirotte, tensū o kisoun da yo.
We pick up trash in teams and compete for points.
B：へえ、ごみ拾いがゲームになるんだ！
Hē, gomi hiroi ga gēmu ni narun da!
Wow, so picking up trash turns into a game!
A：うん。袋を持ってきてね。
Un. Fukuro o motte kite ne.
Yeah. Bring a bag.
- 〜に行かない？ (… ni ikanai?) = “Want to go …?” A casual invitation.
- 面倒 (mendō) = “a hassle, a bother.”
- 〜になるんだ！ (… ni narun da!) = “so it becomes …!” Use it when you discover something surprising.
Quiz | gomi hiroi check
Q1. How many beats does ごみ拾い have?
a) 5 (go-mi-hi-ro-i) b) 4 (go-mi-hi-roi) c) 3 (gomi-hi-roi)
Answer
a) 拾 has 2 beats (hi-ro), and the last い (i) is a full beat of its own.
Q2. Which particle completes “The city becomes clean”?
街がきれい（ ）なる。
a) を (o) b) に (ni) c) で (de)
Answer
b) 街がきれいになる。 (Machi ga kirei ni naru.) With なる, the result takes に.
Q3. What does ポイ捨て (poisute) mean?
a) picking up trash b) littering c) a trash bin
Answer
b) ポイ is the sound of a careless toss, and 捨て comes from 捨てる (suteru, to throw away).
Q4. Which sentence means “Please take your trash home”?
Answer
a) 持ち帰る (mochikaeru) = to take home. b) means “I don’t litter,” and c) means “I picked up trash in the park.”
Your Voice | What if gomi hiroi became a game?
Task: Say the article’s idea, then one sentence about your own trash habit — in Japanese.
- Say the article’s idea: ごみ拾いが宝探しになる。 (Gomi hiroi ga takarasagashi ni naru.)
- Add one sentence about your own habit with 持ち帰る (mochikaeru): ごみは［いつも］持ち帰ります。 (Gomi wa [itsumo] mochikaerimasu.)
- Say both sentences aloud — first reading, then without looking.
ごみ拾いが宝探しになる。ごみはいつも持ち帰ります。
Gomi hiroi ga takarasagashi ni naru. Gomi wa itsumo mochikaerimasu.
Picking up trash becomes a treasure hunt. I always take my trash home.
Reflect: Can you say ごみ拾い in 5 even beats, without blending ro and i into “roy”? Can you say “A becomes B” with が〜になる?
Write your answer in the comments below — a We coach will reply.
Speak Your Language | Make 〜になる yours
Practice is not the goal. The goal is to make 〜になる your own word — and say what you really feel, in Japanese.
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