干净

• Pinyin: gān jìng
• Hanzi breakdown: 干 (dry) + 净 (clean, pure) — dry and clear, hence clean

Meaning

Clean; neat; tidy. Describes something free of dirt or mess.

Used for physical cleanliness of places, objects, and people. Can also mean 'completely' in some expressions: 吃干净 (eat it all clean). The opposite is 脏 (dirty). Very common in daily life for describing rooms, clothes, food, etc.

Examples

1. 这个房间很干净。 This room is very clean.
2. 请把桌子擦干净。 Please wipe the table clean.
3. 他穿的衣服很干净。 The clothes he wears are very clean.

Usage Guide

Context: home, everyday, hygiene

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 你的房间真干净！(Your room is really clean!)
• 吃饭前要把手洗干净。(Wash your hands clean before eating.)

Don't Say

• 这个水很干净喝。(Wrong word order — say 这个水很干净，可以喝 or restructure)

Origin & History

Compound of 干 (dry) and 净 (clean, pure) — when something is dry and clear, it is clean.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal