水洗 (shuǐ xǐ) — (attributive) water-washed; stone-washed (of fabric, especially denim); (attributive) washing (step in photography)

Definition

Adjective, always before a noun: describes fabric treated by water-washing (stone-washed denim, washed cotton) or a washing step in photo processing.

adjective
(attributive) water-washedstone-washed (of fabric, especially denim)(attributive) washing (step in photography)

Examples

  • 水洗。
    Zhè tiáo shuǐ xǐ niú zǎi qún de yán sè hěn zì rán.
    The color of this stone-washed denim skirt is very natural.
  • 水洗。
    Dǐ piàn jīng guò shuǐ xǐ chǔ lǐ hòu liàng gān.
    After the washing treatment, the negatives are air-dried.
  • 水洗。
    Zhè jiàn shuǐ xǐ mián bù chèn shān chuān qǐ lái hěn shū fu.
    This water-washed cotton shirt feels very comfortable to wear.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

水shuǐwater
洗xǐwash

水 means water and 洗 means wash, together describing washing with water.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →

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 →

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