cung1 sai2沖洗冲洗
Jyutpingcung1 sai2
Yalechūng sái
Definition
To rinse or wash the surface of something with fast-flowing water.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
Focuses on using a flow of water to remove dirt or residue from a surface. While it can apply to objects, it is rarely used for washing one's own body, where 沖涼 is the standard term. In casual settings, speakers often shorten it to just 沖 when the context of cleaning with water is already clear.
Examples
Please help me rinse the fruit.
It's all dirty here, hurry up and rinse it clean.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 沖涼, which specifically means to take a shower. Using 沖洗 for a person sounds like you are hosing them down like an object.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
