You're washing dishes after dinner, and the last plate you grab feels like it's barely there, so clean and polished. You wipe it with the dishcloth, and it glides across the surface. Your hand moves effortlessly as it dries, and then it's ready to put away. The plate’s perfect finish makes your job a little easier.

You remember the word for that perfect smoothness: つるつる (tsurutsuru).

Here are a few ways you might encounter this sound in everyday life:

At home, you're enjoying your favorite soba noodles. The way they slide from the chopsticks into your mouth is so pleasing. You comment on their texture to the chef. “この麺はつるつるですね (Kono men wa tsurutsuru desu ne – These noodles are smooth, aren't they?).

Outside, a gentle rain has just fallen, and the sidewalk stones glisten. You take a cautious step, because you see a patch where the water hasn't drained yet. It looks like it would be easy to slip there. A jogger runs confidently past looking like they are ice skating. The wet stones have that sheen that gives everything that appearance of being slick.

At school or work, you're admiring a freshly waxed desk. The surface reflects light in a flattering way. You have just finished cleaning it, and it gleams. As you dust the surface, the cloth moves with delightful ease. You note how clean and perfect it looks.

On a winter afternoon you're walking home, bundled up as always against the cold. The road is covered with ice, and it is a treacherous journey. Remembering your careful steps, you see another pedestrian nearly trip. You both hold on to nearby objects to stop the fall. Each step demands attention.

The word つるつる (tsurutsuru) can also be used to describe something seemingly made of glass, or any surface that is almost unnaturally smooth, but it can also be a noun, as in “そのつるつるの床 (sono tsurutsuru no yuka – that smooth floor). This versatility makes it a useful word to describe many situations, from food to textures.