干净
Traditional: 乾淨
gān jìng HSK 3

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

房间很干净。
Fángjiān hěn gānjìng.
The room is very clean.
衣服洗干净了。
Yīfu xǐ gānjìngle.
The clothes are washed clean.
桌子不干净。
Zhuōzi bù gānjìng.
The table is not clean.
房间很干净。
Fángjiān hěn gānjìng.
The room is clean.
衣服很干净。
Yīfu hěn gānjìng.
The clothes are clean.

💡 Memory Tip

Break the word down: 干 (gān) can mean 'dry' or 'to do', and 净 (jìng) means 'clean' or 'pure'. Think of the process of 'doing' the cleaning until something is 'purely' clean and dry.

📝 Usage Notes

It is a very common and versatile word used in both formal and informal contexts, in spoken and written Chinese. It is most frequently used to describe the cleanliness of objects (like dishes or rooms), personal hygiene, or the neatness of work or appearance. It can also be used in abstract senses, such as 'clean record' or 'clean break'.

📖 Grammar Points

As a stative adjective, it can directly modify a noun (干净的水) or follow a noun with 是...的 structure to describe a state (这个碗是干净的). It can be modified by degree adverbs like 很 (很干净), 非常, or 不 (不干净).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, maintaining cleanliness (干净) is highly valued in both personal and public spaces as a sign of respect, self-discipline, and good upbringing. The metaphorical use to describe a person's character (e.g., 手脚干净) reflects the cultural link between physical and moral cleanliness.

🔄 Similar Words

整洁 (zhěngjié) also means 'tidy' or 'neat', but it emphasizes order and arrangement more than the absence of dirt. 清洁 (qīngjié) is a more formal synonym for 'clean', often used in public health or commercial contexts (e.g., 清洁工 - cleaner). 干净 is the most general and commonly used term.

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