Meaning of 洗手间
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- toilet
- lavatory
- washroom
How to use 洗手间
洗手间 is the most common polite word for a public restroom or the bathroom in a home, and you will see it on signs in malls, restaurants and airports. The standard question is 请问，洗手间在哪儿？(Qǐngwèn, xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr?) Excuse me, where is the restroom?
Break it into three parts: 洗 (xǐ) to wash, 手 (shǒu) hand, 间 (jiān) room. A 洗手间 is literally the "wash hands room," a polite way to say restroom.
Common mistake: Learners often say 洗澡间 or mix it up with 洗澡 (xǐzǎo, to take a shower), but 洗手间 is the word for the toilet room. Also keep the tones straight: xǐ and shǒu are both third tone, so in speech the first one changes to a rising tone, sounding like xíshǒujiān.
洗手间 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
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
手 shǒu · hand · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
间 jiān · between · 7 strokes
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- 2
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- 4
- 5
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- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 洗手间.
| 时间 | shíjiān | (concept of) time; (duration of) time |
| 房间 | fángjiān | room |
| 手机 | shǒujī | cell phone; mobile phone |
| 中间 | zhōngjiān | the middle; the inside; in the middle; within; between; among |
| 洗澡 | xǐzǎo | to bathe; to take a shower |
| 手表 | shǒubiǎo | wristwatch |
| 举手 | jǔshǒu | to raise a hand; to put up one's hand (as signal) |
| 洗衣机 | xǐyījī | washing machine; washer |
| 手指 | shǒuzhǐ | finger |
| 对手 | duìshǒu | opponent; rival |
| 选手 | xuǎnshǒu | athlete; contestant |
| 歌手 | gēshǒu | singer |
Questions about 洗手间
What does 洗手间 mean?
洗手间 (xǐshǒujiān) means "toilet; lavatory" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 洗手间?
洗手间 is made of 3 characters: 洗 (9 strokes), 手 (4 strokes), 间 (7 strokes). That is 20 strokes in total.
Is 洗手间 an HSK word?
Yes. 洗手间 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 洗手间 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 洗手间 is written 洗手間.
What is the difference between 洗手间 and 厕所?
Both mean toilet, but 厕所 (cèsuǒ) is more direct and plain, a bit like saying "toilet" in English. 洗手间 sounds softer and more polite, so it is safer with strangers or in nice places.
How do I say I need to go to the bathroom?
You can say 我去一下洗手间 (wǒ qù yíxià xǐshǒujiān), I am going to the restroom for a moment. The 一下 makes it sound casual and brief.