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洗漱 (xǐ shù) — to wash up (face and mouth); to freshen up (in the morning)

Definition

Everyday verb for washing one's face and rinsing one's mouth, usually in the morning. 洗涤 is more formal or technical and covers washing things or purifying in a broader sense.

verb
to wash up (face and mouth)to freshen up (in the morning)

Examples

  • 洗漱。
    Wǒ měi tiān qǐ chuáng hòu dì yī jiàn shì jiù shì xǐ shù.
    Every day after getting up, the first thing I do is wash up.
  • 洗漱？。
    Nǐ xǐ shù le ma? wǒ men gāi qù chī zǎo fàn le.
    Have you washed up? We should go eat breakfast.
  • 洗漱。
    Tā měi tiān zǎo shàng dōu yào huā shí fēn zhōng xǐ shù.
    He spends ten minutes washing up every morning.

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
漱shùrinse mouth

洗 “wash” + 漱 “rinse mouth” together mean washing up.

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 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 漱 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Daily RoutineHygiene & Grooming

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