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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "wash" in Chinese?
洗
xǐ
In Chinese, "wash" is 洗 (xǐ).
Listen to the pronunciation:
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Pronunciation
Shape your mouth for xǐ around a dipping tone that falls low then curls back up, like a shrug of "well...", since this single syllable carries the third tone.
Writing and usage
洗 is written using hanzi. It's a verb, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
晚饭后我洗碗。
wǎn fàn hòu wǒ xǐ wǎn 。
I wash the dishes after dinner.
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How to remember 洗
Think of "xǐ" as sounding like "shee": imagine wash happening right as you say it.
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 洗
How do you pronounce 洗?
Shape your mouth for xǐ around a dipping tone that falls low then curls back up, like a shrug of "well...", since this single syllable carries the third tone.
Is 洗 formal or casual?
洗 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 洗 used in Chinese?
洗 is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: 晚饭后我洗碗。 (I wash the dishes after dinner.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Wash" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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