Chinese word

清理

Pronunciation

Pinyinqīng lǐ

Meaning

  • verbclean up

Example

请把桌子上的垃圾清理掉。qǐng bǎ zhuō zi shàng de lā jī qīng lǐ diào

Please clean up the trash on the table.

Illustration for 清理 (clean up)

More examples

城管正在清理违章建筑。chéng guǎn zhèng zài qīng lǐ wéi zhāng jiàn zhù

City management officers are removing illegal buildings.

Core concept

Clearing away unwanted material and putting what remains into workable order.

Common phrases

  • 清理电脑文件qīng lǐ diàn nǎo wén jiàn

    organize computer files

  • 清理违章建筑qīng lǐ wéi zhāng jiàn zhù

    remove illegal buildings

  • 清理库存qīng lǐ kù cún

    organize inventory

Similar words

整理zhéng lǐ: Arranging objects or documents in a clear and orderly way.
打扫dá sǎo: Cleaning a room or place by removing dirt, dust, and rubbish.
处理chú lǐ: Handling a matter or problem in a suitable way to resolve it.
清除qīng chú: Removing unwanted or obstructive things completely.

Definition in Chinese

去掉或处理不需要的东西，使物品、地方或系统变得整洁有序。qù diào huò chú lǐ bù xū yào de dōng xī shǐ wù pǐn dì fāng huò xì tǒng biàn de zhěng jié yǒu xù

Word origin

The compound 清 (qīng, "clear") + 理 (lǐ, "put in order") combines clearing away with handling what remains, which explains its broad use for making things orderly.

Usage tips

  • In a short request, adding 一下 (yīxià, "a little/once") after the verb makes the request sound lighter, a common conversational pattern.

Other meanings

  • organizeverb
  • cleanverb
  • dispose ofverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 清理费qīng lǐ fèicleanup feenoun
  • 清理队qīng lǐ duìcleanup teamnoun

Word lists with this word