打扫
to clean; to sweep
dǎsǎo
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 breakdown
to hit; verb prefix (here)
to sweep
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
Synonyms
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 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
FAQ
Acquire by listening
Hear 打扫 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.
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