打扫
dǎsǎo
To clean up in Chinese is 打扫 (dǎsǎo).
The verb 打扫 is used to mean making an area or a thing clean. For a more complete or formal expression of performing cleaning or sanitation, you can use 打扫卫生. If your specific goal is to sweep the floor, the more precise verb is 扫地.
Meaning: to make an area or a thing clean (verb)
Which one should you use?
While 打扫 is the general verb for cleaning or sweeping, it is often used specifically for the act of sweeping or tidying a room. In contrast, 整理 focuses more on organizing or arranging items and 清洁 is a formal term emphasizing cleanliness and purity.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the equivalent of the informal 弄干净 is 搞乾淨.
How do you pronounce it?
dǎsǎo
Did you know?
- During the Lunar New Year, the act of 打扫 is not just chores but a ritual to sweep away the bad luck of the previous year to make room for the new.
- In China, the phrase 打扫卫生 (dǎsǎo wèishēng) is often used in schools to describe a mandatory period where students clean the classrooms themselves.
- The phrase 打扫 (dǎsǎo) literally translates to 'hit' and 'sweep'.
Examples in context
- 今晚谁要打扫？Who's going to clean up tonight?This sentence uses 打扫 to ask who is responsible for the cleaning task.Tatoeba #430648 by GlossaMatik, translation #430647 by CM
- 请把房间整理一下 (Qǐng bǎ fángjiān zhěnglǐ yīxià)Please clean up the room.
- 明天请你帮忙打扫客厅 (Míngtiān qǐng nǐ bāngmáng dǎsǎo kètīng)Tomorrow, can you help clean up the living room?
- 快点收拾你的房间吧 (Kuài diǎn shōushi nǐ de fángjiān ba)Quickly clean up your room, okay?
- 把你用过的餐具都弄干净 (Bǎ nǐ yòngguò de cānjù dōu nòng gānjìng)Clean up all the utensils you've used.
- 你要打扫房间吗？Nǐ yào dǎsǎo fángjiān ma?Do you want to clean the room?
- 我们要打扫一下厨房。Wǒmen yào dǎsǎo yīxià chúfáng.We need to clean up the kitchen.
Example conversation
Junjie and Zihan are talking about their chores at home.
- 俊杰 Junjie梓涵，你在做什么？Zǐhán, nǐ zài zuò shénme?Zihan, what are you doing?
- 梓涵 Zihan我在打扫客厅。Wǒ zài dǎsǎo kètīng.I am cleaning up the living room.
- 俊杰 Junjie需要我的帮忙吗？Xūyào wǒ de bāngmáng ma?Do you need my help?
- 梓涵 Zihan谢谢，俊杰，不用了。Xièxie, Jùnjié, bùyòng le.Thanks, Junjie, no need.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
