Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 掃帚 / 扫帚 | sàozhǒu | ||
| 掃把 / 扫把 | sàobǎ | ||
| 帚 | zhǒu | /ʈ͡ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡saːu̯³⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 掃帚 / 扫帚 | sàu-chhiú, sàu-chiú | Hokkien | |
| 掃梳 / 扫梳 | sàu-soe, sàu-se | Hokkien |
The terms in this list refer to a domestic utensil used for sweeping. Related verbs for the action of sweeping include 掃 / 扫 and 掃除 / 扫除.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 掃把 / 扫把 (sàobǎ) is a compound consisting of the verb 掃 (sǎo), meaning 'to sweep' and the noun 把 (bǎ), meaning 'handle'.
Which one should you use?
While 掃帚 / 扫帚 (sàozhǒu) is the standard or formal term for a broom, 掃把 / 扫把 (sàobǎ) is the more common colloquial term used in everyday speech. The single character 帚 (zhǒu) can also be used as a formal or literary way to refer to a broom.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Dungan language, the term for broom is тёчў (tiočw) or сочў (sočw). In Hokkien, you may use 掃帚 / 扫帚 (sàu-chhiú, sàu-chiú) or 掃梳 / 扫梳 (sàu-soe, sàu-se).
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The Hokkien pronunciation is sàu-chhiú, sàu-chiú.
Did you know?
- In many Chinese cultures, sweeping your house during the Lunar New Year is considered bad luck. It is believed that you might accidentally sweep away your 'fortune' or 'good luck' for the coming year.
- The Dungan language uses тёчў (tiočw) for broom, which is written in Cyrillic script. This is because Dungan is a dialect of Chinese spoken by people who migrated to Central Asia and adopted the Russian alphabet.
- The character 帚 (zhǒu) is a pictograph that originally depicted a hand holding a bundle of grass or twigs. It is one of the few remaining characters that clearly show the shape of the ancient tool it describes.
Example sentences for Chinese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “broom” translations and entries 帚, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
