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更衣室 (gēng yī shì) — changing room, locker room, dressing room; (euphemism) toilet, restroom

Definition

Literally 'changing-clothes room', used for places where people change clothes (gym, pool, store). As a soft euphemism for the toilet (see example 3), it sounds gentler than 厕所 or 卫生间.

noun
changing roomlocker roomdressing room(euphemism) toiletrestroom
Measure word · 间

Examples

  • 更衣室。
    Nǐ qù gēng yī shì huàn yī fu ba.
    Go change your clothes in the locker room.
  • 更衣室。
    Shāng diàn de gēng yī shì zài èr lóu.
    The store's fitting room is on the second floor.
  • ，更衣室。
    Bù hǎo yì si, wǒ qù yí xià gēng yī shì.
    Excuse me, I'm going to the restroom.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

更衣change clothes
更gèngchange衣yīclothes
动宾Verb + object
室shìroom

更衣 means to change clothes, and 室 is the room where that activity takes place.

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
攴攴pūhand holding a whip; action
Sound part声符shēngfú
𰀒
𰀒𰀒更gēng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The old form showed two chariots, 𰀒; 攴, a hand holding a whip, was added to show action, and one chariot part was dropped. The remaining part changed into the shape seen in 更.

Open 更 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 衣 comes from an outline of the chest and upper clothing.

Open 衣 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
至
至zhì室shì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

室 puts 宀 (roof) over 至, the spot where someone stops, giving the meaning of a house or residence.

Open 室 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Rooms & SpacesPublic Facilities

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