刷

• Pinyin: shuā
• Hanzi breakdown: 刷 = 尸 (body) + 巾 (cloth) + 刂 (knife), depicting a scrubbing or scraping action

Meaning

To brush; to scrub; to swipe. A sweeping or scrubbing motion.

A versatile verb used for brushing (teeth, paint), scrubbing (dishes, floors), and swiping (cards, phones). In modern slang, also used for browsing social media (刷手机) or binge-watching (刷剧).

Examples

1. 请你帮我刷一下这个锅。 Please help me scrub this pot.
2. 出门的时候记得刷公交卡。 Remember to swipe your bus card when you go out.
3. 他每天晚上都要刷半个小时手机。 He scrolls on his phone for half an hour every night.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, technology

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 你刷卡还是付现金？(Are you swiping a card or paying cash?)
• 别老刷手机了，该休息了。(Stop scrolling on your phone; it's time to rest.)

Don't Say

• 我刷了一下桌子上的灰。(Don't use 刷 for wiping dust — use 擦. 刷 implies scrubbing with a brush or swiping motion.)

Origin & History

Phono-semantic compound with 刂 (knife radical, suggesting a scraping action) and 尸 + 巾 as phonetic component.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal