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HSK 3

打扫

to clean; to sweep

verbneutral
打
dǎ3rd tone
扫
sǎo3rd tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
dǎsǎo
Part of speech
verb
Level
HSK 3
Strokes
11
Register
neutral

Stroke order for 打扫

打扫 is written with 11 strokes (打: 5, 扫: 6). The animation replays automatically.

What does 打扫 mean?

打扫 (dǎsǎo) means 'to clean' — specifically to clean a room, house, or other space by sweeping, dusting, mopping, and tidying.

It is the standard word for housework cleaning. The character 打 here is a 'verb prefix' (it doesn't literally mean 'hit'), and 扫 means 'to sweep,' so 打扫 emphasizes the sweeping-and-tidying type of cleaning. Two important distinctions for English speakers: first, 打扫 is for cleaning a SPACE — 打扫房间 (clean the room), 打扫教室 (clean the classroom).

To wash an OBJECT (clothes, dishes, hands), use 洗 (xǐ), not 打扫. Second, 打扫卫生 (dǎsǎo wèishēng, literally 'clean hygiene') is a fixed phrase that simply means 'to do cleaning / clean the place up' — you'll hear it in homes, schools, and offices across China.

Character by character

打dǎto hit; verb prefix (here)
+
扫sǎoto sweep
=
打扫

Memory hook: 扫 (sweep) is the core; 打 is a verb prefix that combines with everyday actions (打电话, 打篮球, 打扫). Think 'do a sweep / do the cleaning.'

Example sentences

我每个周末都打扫房间。

Wǒ měi gè zhōumò dōu dǎsǎo fángjiān.

I clean my room every weekend.

spoken

妈妈正在打扫厨房。

Māma zhèngzài dǎsǎo chúfáng.

Mom is cleaning the kitchen.

neutral

请你帮我打扫一下教室。

Qǐng nǐ bāng wǒ dǎsǎo yíxià jiàoshì.

Please help me clean the classroom.

neutral

他把屋子打扫得很干净。

Tā bǎ wūzi dǎsǎo de hěn gānjìng.

He cleaned the room very thoroughly.

neutral

Common phrases with 打扫

打扫房间dǎsǎo fángjiānto clean the room
打扫卫生dǎsǎo wèishēngto do cleaning (set phrase)
打扫厨房dǎsǎo chúfángto clean the kitchen
打扫教室dǎsǎo jiàoshìto clean the classroom
打扫干净dǎsǎo gānjìngto clean (something) thoroughly

Synonyms

扫sǎo

扫 alone specifically means 'to sweep (with a broom)' — narrower in scope. 打扫 means general cleaning of a space, which usually includes sweeping plus tidying, dusting, mopping.

收拾shōushi

收拾 means 'to tidy up / put away,' focusing on organization. 打扫 focuses on physical cleaning (dust, dirt). You can 收拾房间 (tidy the room) without 打扫 (sweeping/mopping).

Don't confuse 打扫 with

洗xǐ

洗 means 'to wash' with water — 洗手 (wash hands), 洗衣服 (wash clothes), 洗碗 (wash dishes). 打扫 is for cleaning spaces, not washing objects. Never say 打扫衣服 — say 洗衣服.

擦cā

擦 means 'to wipe' — 擦桌子 (wipe the table), 擦窗户 (wipe the windows). 打扫 is the general activity that may include 擦 as one step.

FAQ

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