打扫

• Pinyin: dǎ sǎo
• Hanzi breakdown: 打 = 扌(hand) + 丁 (phonetic); 扫 = 扌(hand) + 彐 (snout radical)

Meaning

To clean; to sweep; to tidy up. The act of cleaning a space.

Used for cleaning rooms, houses, streets, and other spaces. Involves sweeping, mopping, and general tidying. Very common in everyday conversation. Often collocates with 卫生 (hygiene/sanitation), 房间 (room), and 干净 (clean).

Examples

1. 周末我要在家打扫卫生，把每个房间都收拾干净。 I need to clean the house this weekend and tidy up every room.
2. 过年之前，家家户户都会打扫房子。 Before Chinese New Year, every household cleans their house.
3. 同学们一起打扫了教室，地板变得干干净净的。 The classmates cleaned the classroom together and the floor became spotless.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, home, school

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请把你的房间打扫一下。(Please clean up your room.)
• 每天早上我们都要打扫教室。(Every morning we have to clean the classroom.)

Don't Say

• 用打扫来描述清洗衣物 (Don't use 打扫 for washing clothes — 打扫 is for cleaning spaces; use 洗 for washing clothes or dishes)

Origin & History

打 (strike/do) + 扫 (sweep) — originally meant to sweep with a broom, later broadened to general cleaning.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal