濯 (zhuó) - To wash & to cleanse
濯Tone 2
zhuó ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:
濯 · zhuó
To wash;
to cleanse;
to purify;
to scrub;
to rinse;
to bathe.
To washto cleanseto purify
Usage highlights
To wash clothesTo wash one's feetTo wash one's hairTo cleanse the heartTo rinseWashing in clear water
Usage & contexts
Examples
- She washed the clothes in the river (濯衣).
- The lotus emerges unstained from the mud (出淤泥而不染，濯清涟而不妖).
- He rinsed the vegetables thoroughly (濯洗蔬菜).
- The sage purifies his heart (濯心).
Collocations
- To wash clothes(濯衣)
- To wash one's feet(濯足)
- To wash one's hair(濯发)
- To cleanse the heart(濯心)
- To rinse(濯洗)
- Washing in clear water(濯清水)
Idioms
- Wash one's ears in the Ying River — to show disdain for worldly affairs(濯缨濯足)
- As if washing away dust — to feel refreshed and clean(如濯尘埃)
- Washing feet in the Canglang River — to adapt to circumstances(沧浪濯足)
Cultural background
FAQ- Appears in classical texts like Mencius, describing washing feet or hair, often with moral or allegorical meaning.
- Used in the idiom '濯缨濯足' from the Chu Ci, symbolizing adapting to circumstances (clean the hat tassel in clear water, wash feet in muddy water).
- Associated with purity and cleansing, both physically and spiritually, in Confucian and Daoist contexts.