洗手间 (xǐ shǒu jiān) — restroom; washroom; toilet

Definition

A polite everyday word for 'restroom / washroom'. It sounds a bit more formal than 厕所; 卫生间 is the most neutral term.

noun

restroomwashroomtoilet

Measure word · 个

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.

洗手wash hands

动宾Verb + object

洗手 means washing hands, and 间 is a room, so it names a room for washing hands.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

先

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.

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

手 draws a five-fingered human hand: the top line is a bent middle finger, and the horizontal lines show the other four fingers.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in