Meaning of 厕所
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- toilet; lavatory
Measure word: 間|间,處|处
How to use 厕所
厕所 is the everyday, neutral word for a toilet or restroom, both the room at home and a public one. Common phrases include 上厕所 (shàng cèsuǒ, to go to the toilet) and 公共厕所 (gōnggòng cèsuǒ, public toilet). Example: 请问，厕所在哪儿？ (Qǐngwèn, cèsuǒ zài nǎr?) Excuse me, where is the restroom?
厕所 (cèsuǒ) is built from 厕, a small room tucked under a roof-like cliff stroke 厂, and 所 (suǒ), which means a place, as in 场所 (chǎngsuǒ). Together it is the little room where you go: the toilet.
Common mistake: Learners often say 去厕所 or translate "use the toilet" literally, but the most natural verb is 上 (shàng): 我去上厕所 (wǒ qù shàng cèsuǒ). Also remember 厕 is fourth tone cè, not cí or cē.
厕所 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
厕 cè · toilet · 8 strokes
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所 suǒ · actually · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 厕所.
| 所以 | suǒyǐ | therefore; as a result |
| 所有 | suǒyǒu | all; to have; to possess; to own |
| 场所 | chǎngsuǒ | location; place |
| 所长 | suǒzhǎng | what one is good at; one's strong point |
| 无所谓 | wúsuǒwèi | to be indifferent; not to matter |
| 所在 | suǒzài | place; location |
| 研究所 | yánjiūsuǒ | research institute; graduate studies |
| 所谓 | suǒwèi | what is meant by the expression ...; what is referred to as ...; (derog.) so-called |
| 有所 | yǒusuǒ | somewhat; to some extent |
| 之所以 | zhīsuǒyǐ | (after a noun N and before a predicate P) the reason why N P; Example: 我之所以討厭他|我之所以讨厌他[wo3 |
| 一无所知 | yīwúsuǒzhī | (idiom) not knowing anything at all; completely ignorant |
| 诊所 | zhěnsuǒ | clinic |
Questions about 厕所
What does 厕所 mean?
厕所 (cèsuǒ) means "toilet; lavatory" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 厕所?
厕所 is made of 2 characters: 厕 (8 strokes), 所 (8 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 厕所 an HSK word?
Yes. 厕所 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 厕所 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 厕所 is written 廁所.
Is 厕所 polite, or should I use 洗手间?
厕所 is fine in everyday speech and on signs. In restaurants, hotels, or more polite situations, many people prefer 洗手间 (xǐshǒujiān) or 卫生间 (wèishēngjiān), which sound softer, like "restroom" in English.
Does 厕所 mean the toilet bowl itself?
Not usually. 厕所 refers to the room or facility. The toilet bowl is usually called 马桶 (mǎtǒng).