马桶

• Pinyin: mǎ tǒng
• Hanzi breakdown: 马 = pictograph of a horse; 桶 = 木 (wood) + 甬 (path/tube) — a wooden barrel or cylinder

Meaning

Toilet; a seated flush toilet. The standard term for a sit-down porcelain bowl used for disposal of bodily waste.

Almost exclusively refers to the sitting-style flush toilet as opposed to a squat toilet (蹲坑). The word is standard in everyday speech and not considered crude. Smart toilets (智能马桶) have gained cultural prominence.

Examples

1. 老式公共厕所多为蹲坑，而新建的商场和写字楼则普遍安装了马桶。 Older public restrooms often have squat toilets, while newly built malls and office buildings generally install seated toilets.
2. 她入住酒店后发现马桶堵了，立即致电前台请求维修服务。 After checking into the hotel, she found the toilet was clogged and immediately called the front desk to request repairs.
3. 智能马桶在日本的普及率极高，许多中国游客回国后也纷纷购置安装。 Smart toilets are extremely common in Japan, and many Chinese tourists buy and install them after returning home.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, home, sanitation

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 智能马桶集自动冲洗、座圈加热和温水清洁于一体，在提升如厕舒适度的同时也有效降低了卫生纸的使用量。(Smart toilets combine automatic flushing, heated seats, and warm-water cleansing, improving bathroom comfort while also effectively reducing toilet paper consumption.)
• 安装马桶时需注意坑距规格，坑距不符会导致马桶无法正常安装，务必提前测量确认。(When installing a toilet, pay attention to the drain-hole distance; a mismatch in specifications will prevent proper installation, so measure and confirm in advance.)

Don't Say

• 用马桶泛指所有类型的厕所设施 — 马桶 specifically refers to a sit-down flush toilet; squat toilets are 蹲坑 or 蹲厕, and the overall bathroom facility is 卫生间 or 厕所

Origin & History

马 (horse) + 桶 (barrel/bucket) — historically a wooden bucket-shaped seat used for elimination, resembling a horse-riding posture

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal