浆洗 (jiāng xǐ) — to wash and starch (clothes, fabric) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal, somewhat old-fashioned verb meaning 'to wash and starch' (clothes, linens). Today mostly used in descriptions of traditional laundering, not everyday speech.

verb

to wash and starch (clothes, fabric)

Examples

浆洗。
Nǎi nai xǐ huan yòng chuán tǒng fāng fǎ jiāng xǐ yī fu.
Grandma likes to wash and starch clothes using traditional methods.
浆洗。
Zhè jiàn chèn shān xū yào jiāng xǐ yí xià cái néng chuān.
This shirt needs to be washed and starched before it can be worn.
浆洗。
Yǐ qián rén men jīng cháng jiāng xǐ bèi dān hé zhuō bù.
In the past, people often washed and starched sheets and tablecloths.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

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

浆jiāngstarch

浆 (starch) and 洗 (wash) are two parallel steps in treating fabric.

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 漿; 浆 is its simplified writing.

將水漿

Meaning part形符xíngfú

水水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

將

將jiāng漿jiāng

Same sound today

The traditional form 漿 uses 水 to show a liquid and 將 for the sound. The simplified 浆 is a later shorthand, so its shape is not the historical one.

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

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.

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