To wash the feet with water.
To wash, rinse, clean, launder, or bathe something. Water (氵) plus “first” (先): water comes first in any washing job.
洗
Common Usage & Traps
- 洗手 — wash hands
- 洗手间 — restroom, bathroom
- 洗澡 — take a bath or shower
- 洗衣服 — wash clothes
- 洗碗 — wash dishes
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洗身体洗澡Chinese uses the fixed word 洗澡 for washing the body; 洗身体 sounds like washing a body part literally.
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洗面洗脸洗面 is not standard in everyday Mandarin; 洗脸 is the natural phrase for washing one's face.
What is the difference between 洗 and 先?
洗 means 'wash' and has the water radical; 先 means 'first' or 'before' and has no water radical.
洗 (xǐ) is a verb meaning to wash, and it always includes the water radical 氵 on the left. 先 (xiān) means 'first' or 'before' and is a completely different character without the water radical. They look similar because the right side of 洗 is 先, but the water radical changes the meaning entirely.
| Dimension | 洗 | 先 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | wash | first, before |
| Radical | 氵 (water) | 儿 (legs) |
| Example | 洗手 (wash hands) | 先走 (leave first) |
Can 洗手间 mean both 'restroom' and 'place to wash hands'?
洗手间 usually means 'restroom' or 'bathroom', not a literal place just for washing hands.
洗手间 literally means 'hand-washing room', but in modern Chinese it is the standard polite word for a restroom or bathroom. It does not usually refer to a separate sink area. If you want to say 'washroom' in the sense of a room only for washing hands, you would still use 洗手间 in most contexts.
| Dimension | 洗手间 | 厕所 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | restroom, bathroom (polite) | toilet, WC (direct) |
| Formality | polite, common in public places | direct, sometimes blunt |
| Example | 她去洗手间了。 | 厕所在哪里？ |
Appears in Stories 1 story
In this dialogue, two people chat while waiting outside a cinema. You'll hear common phrases for talking about hobbies, sports, and movie preferences.
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她去 洗手间 了。
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