一干二净

• Pinyin: yī gān èr jìng
• Hanzi breakdown: 一 = completely; 干 = dry, clean, done (originally a weapon/shield — extended to thorough); 二 = two (intensifier — utterly); 净 = 氵 + 争 (water + contend — cleansed, pure)

Meaning

Completely; thoroughly; entirely — leaving nothing behind. Used to describe something being eaten, cleaned, cleared, or forgotten in its entirety.

A four-character idiom (成语). 一干 = completely dry/cleared; 二净 = utterly clean. Together they emphasise total completeness with nothing remaining. Common patterns: 吃得一干二净 (eat every last bit), 忘得一干二净 (forget completely), 收拾得一干二净 (tidy up thoroughly). Colloquial in register.

Examples

1. 孩子们第一次吃到外婆做的饺子，盘子里的食物被吃得一干二净，连汤汁都不剩。 The kids tried Grandma’s dumplings for the first time and ate everything on the plate completely clean—there wasn’t even any broth left.
2. 会议结束后，他将黑板上密密麻麻的公式擦得一干二净，只留下了最终推导结果的截图。 After the meeting, he wiped the blackboard clean of the densely packed formulas, leaving only a screenshot of the final result.
3. 多年不见的旧事他声称已忘得一干二净，但从他偶尔失神的眼神来看，记忆恐怕并未真正消散。 He claimed he had completely forgotten those long-ago events, but judging from the way his gaze occasionally drifted, the memories probably haven’t truly faded.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, food, colloquial, description

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这道清蒸鱼端上桌不到十分钟便被一家人吃得一干二净，大人小孩都赞不绝口，厨师听到这个反馈后高兴得合不拢嘴。(The steamed fish was on the table for less than ten minutes before the whole family had finished every last bit; adults and children alike were full of praise, and the cook beamed with delight on hearing the feedback.)
• 他花了整整一个周末将久未整理的阁楼清理得一干二净，装满了七大袋不再使用的物品，阁楼也终于恢复了应有的宽敞。(He spent an entire weekend thoroughly clearing out the long-neglected attic, filling seven large bags with items no longer in use, and the attic finally regained its proper spaciousness.)

Don't Say

• 他一干二净地走了 — 一干二净 describes leaving no remainder of a thing, not the manner in which a person departs; use 干脆地离开 or 头也不回地走了 for departing decisively

Origin & History

一 (completely) + 干 (dry/done — originally a weapon/shield; extended to 'clean,' 'dry,' 'done') + 二 (two — reinforcing intensifier) + 净 (clean/pure — 氵water + 争 contend; thoroughly cleansed)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal