冲澡 (chōng zǎo) — to take a shower | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

冲澡 is the casual, colloquial way to say 'take a shower'. It is a separable verb (离合词): insert 了 or a measure word between 冲 and 澡, as in 冲了个澡.

verb

to take a shower

Examples

。
Wǒ měi tiān dōu yào chōng zǎo zǎo.
I have to take a shower every day.
冲澡。
Wǒ chōng zǎo le yí gè zǎo jiù chū mén le.
I took a shower and then went out.
，冲澡。
Tiān qì tài rè le, wǒ xiǎng qù chōng zǎo gè zǎo.
It's too hot; I want to go take a shower.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

冲 means rinse or shower, and 澡 means bath; together they describe rinsing off in a bath.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 衝; 冲 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 冲 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (冲, 冲动) it is 衝; in others (冲) it is 沖.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

重

重zhòng衝chōng

Same sound today

The traditional form 衝 shows 重 inside 行, with 行 as the meaning part and 重 as the sound part; the simplified 冲 is a later shorthand.

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

喿

喿zào澡zǎo

Same sound today

澡 uses 水 (water) to show the idea of washing and 喿 to give the sound.

Appears in

Hygiene & Grooming

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