洗手间
bathroom; restroom
xǐshǒujiān
What does 洗手间 mean?
洗手间 (xǐshǒujiān) is the polite Chinese word for 'restroom / bathroom,' literally 'wash-hand-room.' It is the default term you'll see on signs in restaurants, airports, malls, and offices, and the safest word to use when asking a stranger where the bathroom is: 请问，洗手间在哪儿？ Two notes for English speakers. First, Chinese distinguishes between the public-facing 洗手间 (signs, polite questions) and the home-context 卫生间 (wèishēngjiān) which can include the shower; in someone's apartment, ask for 卫生间.
Second, the bluntly literal 厕所 (cèsuǒ, 'toilet') is fine among friends or family but feels rough in formal settings. American English 'bathroom' versus British 'toilet' versus 'restroom' all collapse into 洗手间 / 卫生间 / 厕所 along similar register lines.
Note: 洗手间 is the polite, public-facing word for 'restroom.' In someone's home or in casual speech, 卫生间 (wèishēngjiān) is equally common; 厕所 (cèsuǒ) is blunter and more colloquial — fine with friends, less polite to strangers.
Character breakdown
to wash
hand
room; space between
Memory hook: Literally 'wash-hand-room' — the polite Chinese euphemism for the place you go to relieve yourself, named after handwashing.
Measure word for 洗手间
Example sentences
请问，洗手间在哪儿？
Qǐng wèn, xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr?
Excuse me, where is the restroom?
spoken, polite
我去一下洗手间。
Wǒ qù yíxià xǐshǒujiān.
I'm going to the restroom for a sec.
spoken
洗手间就在前面。
Xǐshǒujiān jiù zài qiánmiàn.
The restroom is right ahead.
spoken
这家饭店的洗手间很干净。
Zhè jiā fàndiàn de xǐshǒujiān hěn gānjìng.
This restaurant's restroom is very clean.
neutral
男洗手间在二楼。
Nán xǐshǒujiān zài èr lóu.
The men's room is on the second floor.
neutral
Common phrases with 洗手间
Synonyms
卫生间 is interchangeable with 洗手间 in most contexts but is more commonly used for in-home bathrooms (the room that may include shower + toilet). Use 洗手间 in public/polite questions; either works in homes.
厕所 is the most direct word — 'toilet.' Fine with friends, in casual settings, or at schools. Asking a stranger 厕所在哪儿 is grammatical but slightly less polite than 洗手间在哪儿.
化妆室 ('powder room') is rare and overly formal — found mostly on signs in upscale hotels. Don't use it in everyday speech.