洗 (xǐ) is one of Chinese basic verbs.

The character’s radical is the Three Drops of Water radical. Many Chinese radicals hold information about the character’s meaning. The Three Drops of Water radical usually implies the character is somehow related to water or liquid. The verb 洗 can mean several things: to wash, to rinse, to clean. For example:

他每周都洗车。

Tā měi zhōu dōu xǐ chē.

He washes his car every week.

我洗了脸。

Wǒ xǐ le liǎn.

I’ve washed my face.

煮菜前，先要洗菜。

Zhǔ cài qián, xiān yào xǐ cài.

You need to wash the vegetables before cooking.

 

Common phrases consisting of the verb 洗 are:

For example:

晚饭前去把那双手洗干净。

Wǎn fàn qián qù bǎ nà shuāng shǒu xǐ gān jìng.

Wash those hands before dinner.

他洗一洗手，在裤子上擦干。

Tā xǐ yī xǐ shǒu, zài kù zi shàng cā gān.

He washed his hands and wiped them dry on his pants.

他总是用冷水洗澡。

Tā zǒng shì yòng lěng shuǐ xǐ zǎo.

He always bathes in cold water.

他每次来电话时，我好象总是正在洗澡。

Tā měi cì lái diàn huà shí, wǒ hǎo xiàng zǒng shì zhèng zài xǐ zǎo.

I always seem to be taking a shower every time he calls.

我每天很累，下班回家还要洗衣做饭。

Wǒ měi tiān hěn lèi, xià bān huí jiā hái yào xǐ yī zuò fàn.

I’m tired every day, after work I return home and still have to do the laundry and cooking.

洗衣前请你仔细地看看洗衣机的说明。

Xǐ yī qián qǐng nǐ zǐ xì de kàn kàn xǐ yī jī de shuō míng.

Before washing the clothes please read carefully the washing machine instructions.

通常是丈夫做饭，太太洗碗， 孩子擦桌子。

Tōng cháng shì zhàng fū zuò fàn, tài tài xǐ wǎn, hái zi cā zhuō zi.

Usually the husband cooks, the wife does the dishes, the kid wipes the table.

早餐后，我们像平日一样争辩该轮到谁洗碗的事。

Zǎo cān hòu, wǒ men xiàng píng rì yī yàng zhēng biàn gāi lún dào shéi xǐ wǎn de shì.

After breakfast, we had our usual arguement over whose turn it was to wash dishes.

 

The above phrases are part of the useful nouns:

洗手间 (xǐ shǒu jiān) = bathroom

洗澡间 (xǐ zǎo jiān) = shower room

洗浴用品 (xǐ yù yòng pǐn) = toiletry

洗衣机 (xǐ yī jī) = washing machine

洗碗机 (xǐ wǎn jī) = dishwasher

Other meanings of 洗 are:

• The Christian religious ritual of baptism, called in Chinese 洗礼 (xǐ lǐ).

天主教的婴儿洗礼在2世纪时已有文献记录。

Tiān zhǔ jiào de yīng ér xǐ lǐ zài 2 shì jì shí yǐ yǒu wén xiàn jì lù.

Catholic infant baptism has been already documented in the 2nd century.

有的教会对洗礼是很不认真的，只要有人愿意接受洗礼，就给他们施洗。

Yǒu de jiào huì duì xǐ lǐ shì hěn bù rèn zhēn de, zhǐ yào yǒu rén yuan yì jiē shòu xǐ lǐ, jiù gěi tā men shī xǐ.

Some churches don’t treat baptism seriously. As long as there’s someone who wished to be baptized, they are baptizing him.

• To clear from a charge of guilt.

他决心替他的朋友洗清罪名。

Tā jué xīn tì tā de péng yǒu xǐ qīng zuì míng.

He is determined to clear his friend of the accusation.

• To shuffle cards 洗牌 (xǐ pái).

网上有很多视频会教给你一些基础洗牌手法。

Wǎng shàng yǒu hěn duō shì pín huì jiào gěi nǐ yī xiē jī chǔ xǐ pái shǒu fǎ.

There are many online videos that can teach you some basic cards shuffling techniques.

顺时针发牌，洗牌的时候，洗牌的右手边的人，是最后一个被发到牌的。

Shùn shí zhēn fā pái, xǐ pái de shí hòu, xǐ pái de yòu shǒu biān de rén, shì zuì hòu yī gè pī fà dào pái de.

The cards are dealt clockwise. When the cards are shuffled, the person on the right hand side of the dealer is the last one to be dealt.

• To develop photos

照片都洗出来了，底片没有用了。

Zhào piàn dōu xǐ chū lái le, dǐ piàn méi yǒu yòng le .

All the pictures have been developed, the negatives are of no more use.

• To erase a video or an audio tape recording.

如果要录新的歌首，先要确保你的磁带上的录音都洗了。

Rú guǒ yào lù xīn de gē shǒu, xiān yào què bǎo nǐ de cí dài shàng de lù yīn dōu xǐ le.

If you want to record a new song, first make sure that the recording on your tape has been erased.

好好学习，天天向上！

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