Keywords: dasao, dǎsǎo, 打扫, clean in Chinese, sweep in Chinese, tidy up, how to say clean, Chinese chores, Chinese New Year cleaning, 大扫除, HSK 3 vocabulary, clean the room in Chinese.
Summary: Learn the essential Chinese verb 打扫 (dǎsǎo), which means “to clean” or “to sweep.” This comprehensive guide covers its meaning, character breakdown, and practical use in everyday life, from simple household chores to the important cultural tradition of “spring cleaning” before Chinese New Year. Discover how to use 打扫 correctly with 10 example sentences and understand its nuances compared to similar words like 收拾 (shōushi) and 清理 (qīnglǐ).
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): dǎsǎo
Part of Speech: Verb
HSK Level: HSK 3
Concise Definition: To clean, sweep, or tidy up a physical space by removing dirt and dust.
In a Nutshell: 打扫 (dǎsǎo) is the go-to verb for the physical act of cleaning. Think of activities like sweeping, mopping, dusting, and vacuuming a room, a house, or an office. It implies a hands-on effort to make a place neat and free of dirt. It's one of the most common words you'll hear when talking about household chores.
Character Breakdown
打 (dǎ): While its primary meaning is “to hit” or “to strike,” in many Chinese words, 打 acts as a versatile prefix indicating the “doing” of an action. Here, it adds a sense of purpose and physical effort to the act of cleaning.
扫 (sǎo): This character means “to sweep.” It's a combination of the “hand” radical (扌) on the left, showing an action done with the hands, and a component on the right (帚, zhǒu) which is a pictogram of a broom. So, 扫 literally depicts the action of sweeping with a broom.
When combined, 打扫 (dǎsǎo) moves from the specific action of “sweeping” to the general concept of “cleaning” an area, though it retains the feeling of active, physical work like sweeping or dusting.
Cultural Context and Significance
The most significant cultural event associated with 打扫 is the 大扫除 (dàsǎochú) - the “Great Clean-up” performed in the days leading up to Chinese New Year (春节, Chūnjié).
This is far more than the Western concept of “spring cleaning.” It's a deeply symbolic ritual. Families across China collectively 打扫 their entire homes to sweep away the old year's bad luck, misfortune, and negative energy (晦气, huìqì). This act spiritually prepares the home to welcome new, good fortune (好运, hǎoyùn) for the coming year.
The timing is crucial: all cleaning must be finished before New Year's Day. There is a strong superstition against sweeping or taking out the trash on the first day of the New Year, as it would be like sweeping away the freshly arrived good luck. This contrasts with Western spring cleaning, which is more about seasonal tidiness than spiritual renewal tied to a specific date. The pre-New Year 打扫 is a powerful tradition reinforcing family bonds and cultural values of renewal and optimism.
Practical Usage in Modern China
打扫 (dǎsǎo) is a high-frequency, practical verb used in everyday conversations. Its connotation is neutral and it can be used in both informal and slightly more formal contexts.
Household Chores: This is its most common use. Parents tell children to clean their rooms, or people discuss dividing up household cleaning duties. For example: `你今天打扫卫生了吗？` (Nǐ jīntiān dǎsǎo wèishēng le ma?) - “Have you done the cleaning today?”
Public Spaces: You will often see signs in buildings, subways, or offices that say `“正在打扫，请小心”` (zhèngzài dǎsǎo, qǐng xiǎoxīn) - “Cleaning in progress, please be careful.”
Combining with Objects: It is almost always followed by the place or thing being cleaned.
`打扫房间` (dǎsǎo fángjiān) - to clean the room
`打扫厨房` (dǎsǎo chúfáng) - to clean the kitchen
`打扫办公室` (dǎsǎo bàngōngshì) - to clean the office
`打扫卫生` (dǎsǎo wèishēng) - literally “to clean hygiene,” a very common set phrase meaning “to do the cleaning/sanitizing.”
Example Sentences
Example 1:
我每个周末都打扫我的房间。
Pinyin: Wǒ měi ge zhōumò dōu dǎsǎo wǒ de fángjiān.
English: I clean my room every weekend.
Analysis: A simple, direct sentence showing a routine action. This is a perfect beginner sentence.
Example 2:
妈妈让我去打扫客厅。
Pinyin: Māma ràng wǒ qù dǎsǎo kètīng.
English: Mom told me to go clean the living room.
Analysis: Uses the common pattern `让 (ràng) + someone + do something`, meaning “to make” or “to let” someone do something.
Analysis: `打扫卫生 (dǎsǎo wèishēng)` is a very common fixed phrase that means “to do the cleaning.” `在 (zài)` indicates an action in progress.
Example 5:
这个办公室需要好好儿打扫一下。
Pinyin: Zhè ge bàngōngshì xūyào hǎohāor dǎsǎo yíxià.
English: This office needs a good cleaning.
Analysis: `好好儿 (hǎohāor)` means “thoroughly” or “properly.” `一下 (yíxià)` softens the tone, suggesting “to clean up a bit,” even when paired with `好好儿`.
Example 6:
他花了整整一个下午才把院子打扫干净。
Pinyin: Tā huāle zhěngzhěng yí ge xiàwǔ cái bǎ yuànzi dǎsǎo gānjìng.
English: He spent the entire afternoon cleaning the yard until it was spotless.
Analysis: This sentence uses the `把 (bǎ)` structure to emphasize the disposal of the object (the yard). `打扫干净 (dǎsǎo gānjìng)` is a resultative complement, indicating the result of the action: cleaned until it is `干净 (gānjìng)` - clean.
English: Your desk is covered in dust, why don't you hurry up and clean it?
Analysis: This shows verb reduplication (`打扫打扫`). Reduplicating the verb makes the suggestion more casual and softens the tone, similar to saying “do a little cleaning.”
Nuances and Common Mistakes
A common point of confusion for learners is distinguishing 打扫 (dǎsǎo) from 收拾 (shōushi). They both relate to making a space neat, but they are not interchangeable.
打扫 (dǎsǎo): To clean away dirt, dust, and grime. This involves sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and dusting. It's about sanitation.
收拾 (shōushi): To tidy up, organize, and put things in order. This involves putting scattered books back on a shelf, folding clothes, or arranging items on a desk. It's about orderliness.
Incorrect Usage: `我的桌子很乱，我要打扫一下。` (Wǒ de zhuōzi hěn luàn, wǒ yào dǎsǎo yíxià.) - “My desk is very messy, I need to clean it.”
Why it's wrong: If the problem is messiness (乱, luàn) - things being out of place - the correct verb is `收拾 (shōushi)`. If the problem were dust (灰, huī), then `打扫` would be correct.
Correct Usage:
`我的桌子很乱，我要收拾一下。` (My desk is messy, I need to tidy it up.)
`我的桌子很脏，我要打扫一下。` (My desk is dirty, I need to clean it.)
Difference with 清理 (qīnglǐ):
`清理 (qīnglǐ)` is a broader and often more formal term. It can mean “to clean up” a space, but also “to clear out” unwanted items, “to sort through” files, or even “to settle” a dispute or debt. You `打扫` a room, but you might `清理` a computer's hard drive or `清理` out an old warehouse.
Related Terms and Concepts
大扫除 (dàsǎochú) - The “great clean-up,” a major cleaning session, especially before Chinese New Year.
收拾 (shōushi) - A near-synonym focusing on tidying and organizing rather than cleaning dirt.
干净 (gānjìng) - Adjective meaning “clean.” This is the desired result of 打扫.
卫生 (wèishēng) - Hygiene, sanitation. Often used as the object of 打扫 in the common phrase `打扫卫生`.
清洁 (qīngjié) - A more formal word for “to clean” (verb) or “clean” (adjective).
扫地 (sǎo dì) - A more specific action: “to sweep the floor.”
拖地 (tuō dì) - A more specific action: “to mop the floor.”
擦 (cā) - To wipe, scrub, or polish. Used for surfaces like windows (`擦窗户`) or tables (`擦桌子`).
垃圾 (lājī) - Garbage, trash. The stuff you remove when you 打扫.
脏 (zāng) - Adjective meaning “dirty,” the opposite of `干净`.