清洁 (qīng jié) — clean (adjective) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

清洁 (qīngjié) is a more formal word for 'clean,' suited to environments and abstract contexts like air or surroundings. Compare 干净 (everyday 'clean' for rooms, people, clothes) and 纯洁 (pure in a moral/emotional sense).

adjective

clean (adjective)

Examples

清洁。
Zhè ge fáng jiān hěn qīng jié.
This room is very clean.
清洁。
Wǒ men xū yào bǎo chí kōng qì qīng jié.
We need to keep the air clean.
清洁。
Chéng shì de huán jìng yuè lái yuè qīng jié le.
The city's environment is getting cleaner and cleaner.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

清 and 洁 both express cleanliness, so 清洁 means 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.

氵青清

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

青

青qīng清qīng

Same sound today

清 has 氵 (water) on the left and 青 on the right to show its sound.

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 潔; 洁 is its simplified writing.

氵絜潔

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

絜

絜jié潔jié

Same sound today

The traditional form 潔 pairs 氵, a water part, with 絜, which gives the sound; the simplified 洁 is a later abbreviation.

Appears in

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