水槽

• Pinyin: shuǐ cáo
• Hanzi breakdown: 水 = three flowing drops (water); 槽 = 木 (wood) + 曹 (a group, a channel) — originally a wooden trough

Meaning

Sink; water trough. A basin or container designed to hold water, used in kitchens, laboratories, or agricultural settings.

In domestic contexts 水槽 refers to the kitchen sink; in agriculture it refers to a water trough for livestock; in laboratories it refers to a water bath or tank. The term is practical and functional with no literary connotations.

Examples

1. 她在水槽边清洗蔬菜，准备晚饭。 She washed vegetables at the sink while getting dinner ready.
2. 实验室里有一个专用水槽，用于冷却样品。 The lab has a dedicated sink used for cooling samples.
3. 农场的水槽每天都要清洁，以保持水质新鲜。 The farm’s water trough has to be cleaned every day to keep the water fresh.

Usage Guide

Context: household, agriculture, laboratory

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 厨房的水槽堵了，需要请人来疏通。(The kitchen sink is blocked and needs a plumber to clear it.)
• 实验结束后，所有器具都要放在水槽里浸泡消毒。(After the experiment, all instruments should be soaked in the water basin for disinfection.)

Don't Say

• 把碗放进水槽里洗 — preferred phrasing is 把碗放进水槽里冲洗 or simply 洗碗; 水槽 is the location, not the action

Origin & History

水 (water) + 槽 (trough, groove) — a groove or basin that holds water

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal