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冲洗 (chōng xǐ) — to rinse, to wash (with water); to develop (photographic film)

Definition

冲洗 covers two distinct uses: to rinse/wash quickly with running water (lighter than 清洗 'clean thoroughly'), and to develop photographic film. 洗 alone is general washing; 冲洗 emphasizes water flowing over or through.

verb
to rinseto wash (with water)to develop (photographic film)

Examples

  • 冲洗。
    Hù shi yòng shēng lǐ yán shuǐ chōng xǐ le shāng kǒu.
    The nurse rinsed the wound with saline.
  • 冲洗。
    Bǎ qīng cài fàng zài shuǐ lóng tóu xià chōng xǐ gān jìng.
    Rinse the greens clean under the faucet.
  • 冲洗，。
    Zhè juàn jiāo juǎn hái méi chōng xǐ, xū yào sòng dào zhào xiàng guǎn.
    This roll of film hasn't been developed yet; it needs to be sent to the photo studio.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

冲chōngrinse
洗xǐwash

冲 (rinse) and 洗 (wash) together describe cleaning with water or developing film.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 衝; 冲 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 冲 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (冲, 冲动) it is 衝; in others (冲) it is 沖.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíng
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng衝chōng
Same sound today

The traditional form 衝 shows 重 inside 行, with 行 as the meaning part and 重 as the sound part; the simplified 冲 is a later shorthand.

Open 冲 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
先
先xiān洗xǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

洗 is built from 水 (water) and 先, which gives the character its sound.

Open 洗 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Cleaning & ChoresPhotography & Design

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