洗澡
to bathe; to take a shower
xǐzǎo
What does 洗澡 mean?
洗澡 (xǐzǎo) is the everyday verb 'to take a shower / to bathe,' literally 'wash-bath.' It covers both showering and tub-bathing — Chinese does not strongly distinguish the two in casual speech. Grammatically, 洗澡 is a 'verb-object compound': 洗 is the verb, 澡 is the noun-like object. This means you cannot insert another object after it — say 洗澡 alone, or split the compound to insert duration or aspect: 洗了一个澡 (took a shower), 洗个澡 (take a quick shower), 洗澡洗了半个小时 (took a half-hour shower).
For 'take a bath' specifically (in a tub), use 泡澡 (pàozǎo, literally 'soak-bath'). For washing hair, 洗头 is separate. To wash the body in detail: 洗身体. 洗澡 implies the whole routine.
Character breakdown
to wash
bath
Memory hook: 洗 (wash) + 澡 (bath) — wash + bath = take a shower. Simple stacking.
Example sentences
我每天晚上都洗澡。
Wǒ měi tiān wǎnshang dōu xǐzǎo.
I shower every night.
neutral
我要去洗个澡。
Wǒ yào qù xǐ ge zǎo.
I'm going to take a quick shower.
spoken
洗澡的时候不要看手机。
Xǐzǎo de shíhou bú yào kàn shǒujī.
Don't look at your phone while showering.
spoken
他刚洗完澡，头发还是湿的。
Tā gāng xǐ wán zǎo, tóufa hái shì shī de.
He just finished showering; his hair is still wet.
neutral
今天太累了，我不想洗澡。
Jīntiān tài lèi le, wǒ bù xiǎng xǐzǎo.
I'm too tired today; I don't want to shower.
spoken
Common phrases with 洗澡
Synonyms
淋浴 specifically means 'shower' (the action under running water, or the showerhead itself). It's more technical/written — used on signs and in writing. In speech, almost everyone says 洗澡 even when they mean showering.
泡澡 specifically means 'soak in a tub.' Use 泡澡 when you mean a long bath; use 洗澡 for the general 'take a shower / wash up.'