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洗涤 (xǐ dí) — to wash, to rinse (especially thoroughly in a formal or technical context); to cleanse, to purify (one's mind, spirit, etc.)

Definition

洗涤 (xǐdí) is the formal/technical word for 'to wash/rinse thoroughly' — more written and thorough than 清洗, and broader in scope than 洗漱 (face/mouth) or 冲洗 (rinsing with water).

verb
to washto rinse (especially thoroughly in a formal or technical context)to cleanseto purify (one's mind, spirit, etc.)

Examples

  • 洗涤。
    Tā měi tiān yòng xǐ yī jī xǐ dí yī fu.
    He washes clothes in the washing machine every day.
  • 洗涤。
    Dú shū kě yǐ xǐ dí rén de xīn líng.
    Reading can cleanse a person's soul.
  • 洗涤。
    Yī shēng yòng shēng lǐ yán shuǐ xǐ dí shāng kǒu.
    The doctor rinsed the wound with saline solution.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

洗xǐwash
涤dícleanse

Both 洗 and 涤 mean to wash, so together they stress thorough cleansing.

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
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 →

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 滌; 涤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
條
條tiáo滌dí
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 滌 pairs 水 (water) with 條 as a sound part; the simplified 涤 is a later shorthand.

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Cleaning & Chores

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