máo jīn
towel
我需要一条毛巾。
wǒ xūyào yī tiáo máojìn.
I need a towel.
毛巾放在浴室里。
máojìn fàngzài yùshì lǐ.
The towel is in the bathroom.
我用毛巾擦干了身体。
wǒ yòng máojìn cāgānle shēntǐ.
I dried my body with a towel.
手巾 (shǒujīn)
handkerchief
浴巾 (yùjīn)
bath towel
浴巾 (yùjǐn)
bath towel
手帕 (shǒupà)
handkerchief
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The Chinese word 毛巾 (máojīn) for "towel" is composed of two characters: 毛 (máo), meaning "hair" or "fur", and 巾 (jīn), meaning "cloth" or "towel". The character 毛 originally depicted a hand holding a tuft of hair, while 巾 represented a piece of cloth used to cover the head. When combined, 毛巾 literally means "hair cloth", referring to the material used to make towels. Over time, the term evolved to refer to towels in general, regardless of their material composition.
