擦拭 (cā shì) — to wipe (clean), to wipe away | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

擦拭 (cā shì) is a formal/literary verb meaning 'to wipe clean,' more elevated than the everyday 擦. Often used in writing, signage, or careful/delicate wiping.

verb

to wipe (clean)to wipe away

Examples

擦拭。
Qǐng bǎ zhuō zi cā shì gān jìng.
Please wipe the table clean.
。
Tā bǎ hēi bǎn cā shì le yí biàn.
He wiped the blackboard once.
擦拭。
Tā yòng bù cā shì le zhuō shàng de shuǐ.
She used a cloth to wipe up the water on the table.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

擦 and 拭 both mean wiping, together emphasizing wiping clean.

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.

扌察擦

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

察

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 扌 is the hand, showing that 擦 is an action done with the hand, such as wiping or scrubbing; the right part 察 gives the sound.

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

⺘Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

式

式shì拭⁰shì

Same sound today

拭 is built from ⺘ (hand) and 式; ⺘ is the part tied to the meaning, and 式 is the part tied to the sound.

Appears in

Cleaning & Chores

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