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清洗 (qīng xǐ) — to clean thoroughly (especially with water or liquid); to purge (remove undesirable elements)

Definition

清洗 means a thorough wash, often of objects or the body (hands, vegetables, equipment). More thorough than 打扫 (general tidying/sweeping) and focuses on physical washing rather than the abstract purification of 净化.

verb
to clean thoroughly (especially with water or liquid)to purge (remove undesirable elements)

Examples

  • 清洗。
    Qǐng yòng qīng shuǐ qīng xǐ shū cài.
    Please wash the vegetables with clean water.
  • 清洗。
    Gōng sī qīng xǐ le yì pī bù hé gé de yuán gōng.
    The company purged a batch of unqualified employees.
  • 清洗。
    Shǒu shù qián bì xū qīng xǐ shuāng shǒu.
    Hands must be cleaned before surgery.

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qīngclean
洗xǐwash

清 and 洗 combine cleaning with washing, so 清洗 means to wash 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.

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.

Open 清 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Cleaning & Chores

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