Meaning of 洗
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to wash; to bathe
- to develop (photographs)
- to shuffle (cards etc)
- to erase (a recording)
- used in 洗馬|洗马[xian3 ma3]
How to use 洗
洗 (xǐ) is the everyday verb for washing, and it usually takes a direct object such as 手 (hands), 脸 (face), 衣服 (clothes) or 碗 (bowls). It also appears in common words like 洗手间 (xǐshǒujiān, toilet) and 洗衣机 (xǐyījī, washing machine). Example: 吃饭前要洗手。(Chī fàn qián yào xǐ shǒu.) You should wash your hands before eating.
洗 has the water radical 氵 on the left and 先 (xiān, first) on the right. Think of it as water comes first: before you eat or sleep, you wash. 先 also hints at the sound xǐ.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 先 missing its top strokes or confuse 洗 with 选 (xuǎn, to choose), which shares 先 but uses the walking radical 辶. Also keep the third tone: say xǐ, not xī or xì.
洗 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.
洗 xǐ · to wash · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 洗.
| 洗手间 | xǐshǒujiān | toilet; lavatory |
| 洗澡 | xǐzǎo | to bathe; to take a shower |
| 洗衣机 | xǐyījī | washing machine; washer |
| 清洗 | qīngxǐ | to wash; to rinse; to clean; (fig.) to purge; to get rid of (corrupt individuals etc) |
| 洗衣粉 | xǐyīfěn | laundry detergent; washing powder |
| 洗礼 | xǐlǐ | (lit. and fig.) baptism |
| 冲洗 | chōngxǐ | to rinse; to wash; (photography) to develop (film) |
| 洗涤剂 | xǐdíjì | cleaning agent; detergent |
| 洗手 | xǐshǒu | to wash one's hands; to go to the toilet |
| 洗脑 | xǐnǎo | to brainwash |
| 洗衣 | xǐyī | laundry |
| 洗碗 | xǐwǎn | to wash the dishes |
Questions about 洗
What does 洗 mean?
洗 (xǐ) means "to wash; to bathe; to develop (photographs)" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 洗?
洗 is made of 1 character: 洗 (9 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 洗 an HSK word?
Yes. 洗 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 洗 and 洗澡?
洗 is the general verb and needs an object, like 洗衣服 (wash clothes). 洗澡 (xǐzǎo) specifically means to take a bath or shower, so you say 我去洗澡 rather than just 我去洗.
Can 洗 mean anything besides washing with water?
Yes. It can mean to develop photos, as in 洗照片 (xǐ zhàopiàn), and to shuffle cards, as in 洗牌 (xǐ pái). It also means to erase a recording. In the rare name 洗马 it is read xiǎn.