清理

qīng lǐ

put in order; disentangle

HSK Level 5

Example Sentences

我需要清理房间。

wǒ xūyào qīnglǐ fángjiān.

I need to clean the room.

他正在清理桌子。

tā zhèngzài qīnglǐ zhuōzi.

He is cleaning the table.

我们应该清理环境。

wǒmen yīnggāi qīnglǐ huánjìng.

We should clean the environment.

Synonyms

打扫 (dǎsǎo)

clean up

整理 (zhěnglǐ)

tidy up

Antonyms

弄脏 (nòng zāng)

dirty

污染 (wū rǎn)

pollute

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 清理 (qīnglǐ) is composed of two characters: 清 (qīng) and 理 (lǐ). The character 清 originally meant "clear" or "pure," and was often used in the context of water or weather. Over time, it came to be used more broadly to mean "clean" or "tidy." The character 理 originally meant "to arrange" or "to put in order," and was often used in the context of organizing objects or thoughts. Over time, it came to be used more broadly to mean "to manage" or "to govern."When the two characters 清 and 理 are combined, they form the word 清理, which means "to clean up" or "to tidy up." This word can be used in a variety of contexts, such as cleaning a room, organizing a desk, or clearing away debris. It can also be used in a more figurative sense, such as clearing up a misunderstanding or resolving a conflict.The word 清理 is a common word in Chinese, and it is used in both spoken and written language. It is a useful word to know for anyone who wants to communicate effectively in Chinese.

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