Chinese Conversation · Level 7
90 words
Chinese word
手洗
Pronunciation
Pinyinshǒu xǐ
Meaning
- verbwash by hand
Example
我今天把袜子都手洗了。wǒ jīn tiān bǎ wà zi dōu shǒu xǐ le
I washed all my socks by hand today.
More examples
这件毛衣只能手洗，不能放进洗衣机。zhè jiàn máo yī zhǐ néng shǒu xǐ bù néng fàng jìn xǐ yī jī
This sweater can only be washed by hand; it cannot be put in the washing machine.
Core concept
Hands rub a small item in water to lift out dirt, with the washing done manually rather than by a machine.
Common phrases
手洗衣服shǒu xǐ yī fú
wash clothes by hand
手洗碗shǒu xí wǎn
wash dishes by hand
Similar words
洗xǐ: Removing dirt from a person, object, or surface with water or another liquid.
洗手xí shǒu: Washing the hands with water or soap so they become clean and free of germs.
洗衣xǐ yī: Washing clothes or other fabric with water or detergent to make them clean.
Definition in Chinese
用手把东西或衣物在水中搓洗以去除污渍的动作或方式，常指洗袜子、内衣或小件物品。yòng shóu bǎ dōng xī huò yī wù zài shuǐ zhōng cuō xǐ yǐ qù chú wū zì de dòng zuò huò fāng shì cháng zhǐ xǐ wà zi nèi yī huò xiǎo jiàn wù pǐn
Word origin
手 (shǒu, "hand") + 洗 (xǐ, "wash") makes a transparent compound that names washing done by hand.
Usage tips
- English often uses hand-wash as a label or modifier, whereas Chinese uses 手洗 (shǒuxǐ, "wash by hand") directly as the main verb in everyday laundry sentences.