保洁 (bǎo jié) — to keep (a public place) clean; to do sanitatio… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A verb for professional cleaning/sanitation work in public spaces like offices, buildings, and neighborhoods. Most often seen as a modifier (e.g. 保洁员, 保洁工作), naming the cleaning job or staff rather than describing the act itself.

verb

to keep (a public place) cleanto do sanitation work

Examples

保洁。
Zhè jiā gōng sī zhuān mén zuò bǎo jié gōng zuò.
This company specializes in cleaning work.
，。
Tā men bǎo le sān tiān jié, bǎ dà lóu dǎ sǎo dé gān gān jìng jìng.
They cleaned for three days and made the building spotless.
保洁。
Xiǎo qū xū yào gèng duō de bǎo jié rén yuán.
The neighborhood needs more cleaning staff.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

The “保” means to keep, and “洁” means clean.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

人人rénperson
子子zǐchild

保 originally showed a person 人 carrying a child 子 on their back, which led to the sense of protecting.

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

Cleaning & Chores

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