zāng
dirty
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衣服很脏，我要洗衣服。
yīfu hěn zāng, wǒ yào xǐ yīfu.
The clothes are very dirty, I need to wash them.
房间很脏，我要打扫房间。
fángjiān hěn zāng, wǒ yào dǎsǎo fángjiān.
The room is very dirty, I need to clean it.
手很脏，我要洗手。
shǒu hěn zāng, wǒ yào xǐ shǒu.
My hands are very dirty, I need to wash them.
污秽 (wūhuì)
filthy
肮脏 (āngzāng)
dirty
干净 (gān jìng)
clean
洁净 (jié jìng)
spotless
The Chinese character 脏 (zàng) for "dirty" is composed of two parts: the radical 疒 (chuáng), which indicates sickness or disease, and the phonetic component 臧 (zāng), which means "to store" or "to hide". The combination of these two components suggests the idea of something that is hidden or concealed, which can be associated with dirt or filth.Another interpretation of the character 脏 is that it represents the heart (心) covered by flesh (月), symbolizing the hidden or internal aspects of a person, which can be associated with emotions, desires, and intentions. In this sense, the character 脏 can also refer to the "inner workings" or "secrets" of something.Overall, the etymology of the Chinese character 脏 reflects the idea of something that is hidden, concealed, or internal, which can be associated with dirt, filth, or the hidden aspects of a person.
