收拾
sau1 sap6
In Cantonese, 'clean up' is expressed as 收拾 (sau1 sap6).
收拾 is used to make an area or a thing clean. It is commonly used for tidying up a room or packing one's belongings.
Meaning: to make an area or a thing clean (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The second character, 拾, literally means 'to pick up'.
Which one should you use?
While 收拾 is a common way to say clean up, 整理 is the formal way to express the same idea. If you specifically mean to 'clean', you can use 清潔. If you want to say 'put it away', use 收埋.
How do you pronounce it?
sau1 sap6
Did you know?
- In a colloquial sense, 收拾 can be used figuratively to mean 'to punish' or 'to settle scores' with someone, similar to the English 'to clean someone up' in a fight.
- When a person is 'cleaning up' their life or starting over, Cantonese speakers might use 收拾心情 to describe 'tidying up' one's emotions.
- The character 拾 in 收拾 is also used in the word for 'ten' when counting in a specific traditional manner, though the common word for ten is 十.
Examples in context
- 快啲整頓吓廚房。Clean up the kitchen quickly.
- 你要收拾房間。nei5 jiu3 sau1 sip6 fong1 gaan1.You need to clean up your room.
- 我喺度收拾枱面。ngo5 hai2 dou6 sau1 sip6 toi2 min6.I am cleaning up the tabletop.
Example conversation
At home, a mother asks her son to tidy up.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung家明，快啲收拾下你個房。kaa1 ming4, faai3 di1 sau1 sip6 haa5 nei5 go3 fong2.Ka Ming, clean up your room quickly.
- 家明 Ka Ming等我玩完呢個遊戲先啦。dang2 ngo5 waan2 jyun4 ni1 go3 jau4 hei3 sin1 laa1.Let me finish this game first.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung唔可以，你要而家收拾。m4 ho2 ji5, nei5 jiu3 ji4 gaa1 sau1 sip6.No, you must clean up right now.
- 家明 Ka Ming好啦，我而家就去。hou2 laa1, ngo5 ji4 gaa1 zau6 heoi3.Fine, I'll go do it now.
