About
The character "洗" is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the water radical (氵) to denote its association with liquid-based cleansing and the component "先" which historically served as a phonetic indicator. Its primary meaning has always revolved around the act of washing, though early textual evidence shows it was sometimes used more specifically for washing feet before generalizing to include cleansing any object or part of the body. Over time, the term developed extended applications, such as in photographic film development or metaphorical contexts like money laundering, while its structural form, with the water radical consistently signaling its fundamental relationship to aqueous actions, has remained stable.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我在洗衣服。
他经常洗手。
妹妹在洗澡。
爸爸用洗衣机洗衣服。
我不洗冷水澡。
你洗过这些盘子吗？
洗完衣服后，她要去超市。
这家洗衣店洗得很干净。