毛巾
máojīn
In Chinese, the word for towel is 毛巾 (máojīn). Wiktionary also lists 手巾 (shǒujīn).
Meaning: cloth used for wiping (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 毛巾 | máojīn |
| 手巾 | shǒujīn |
A towel is a cloth used for wiping. You can use the phrase 洗脸毛巾 (xǐliǎn máojīn) to specifically describe a face towel, which literally means 'wash face towel'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 毛巾 (máojīn) is composed of 毛 (máo), meaning 'hair' or 'fur' and 巾 (jīn), meaning 'cloth' or 'towel'.
Which one should you use?
毛巾 (máojīn) is the general term for a towel, whereas 手巾 (shǒujīn) specifically refers to a small cloth or handkerchief used for the hands.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting towels, the most common measure word used is 块 (kuài), which means 'piece' or 'chunk'.
How do you pronounce it?
máojīn
Did you know?
- The measure word 块 (kuài) used for towels is the same one used for 'pieces of cake' or 'chunks of gold'.
- The character 巾 (jīn) is a pictograph that originally depicted a piece of cloth hanging from a hook or a headband.
- The term 毛巾 (máojīn) sounds remarkably similar to the word for 'towel' in Japanese, which is also written with the same characters.
Examples in context
- 幫我遞一下毛巾。Hand me my towel.This sentence shows how to ask someone to hand you a towel using 毛巾.Tatoeba #9049733 by xjjAstrus, translation #1877598 by CK
- 我需要一塊毛巾。I need a towel.This sentence shows how to express a need for a towel using 毛巾.Tatoeba #9049735 by xjjAstrus, translation #2387469 by CK
- 毛巾完全没起作用。The towel wasn't useful at all.This sentence describes a situation where a towel was not useful using 毛巾.Tatoeba #2442255 by ydcok, translation #1170417 by CK
- Máo Jīn zài nǎlǐ? (毛巾在哪里？)Where is the towel?
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Yuting are at the gym.
- 伟 Wei你的毛巾在哪裡？Nǐ de máojīn zài nǎlǐ?Where is your towel?
- 雨婷 Yuting在我的運動包裡面。Zài wǒ de yùndòng bāo lǐmiàn.It is inside my gym bag.
- 伟 Wei我可以借用一下嗎？Wǒ kěyǐ jièyòng yīxià ma?Can I borrow it for a moment?
- 雨婷 Yuting沒問題，拿去用吧。Méi wèntí, ná qù yòng ba.No problem, go ahead and use it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “towel” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
