Household Chores in Chinese 家务
jiāwù
Housework in Chinese is 家务 (jiā wù).
Also searched for as: chores, housework, cleaning, do the dishes.
Who keeps it tidy? 15 essential household chores words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Housework, 家务 (jiā wù), is a great topic for practising everyday verbs, because each chore has its own fixed phrase. You 扫地 (sǎo dì) to sweep and 拖地 (tuō dì) to mop, 洗碗 (xǐ wǎn) to wash up, and 倒垃圾 (dào lā jī) to take out the rubbish. These words help you share jobs with flatmates or a host family and talk about who does what at home.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 家务 | jiā wù | housework |
| 打扫 | dǎ sǎo | to clean |
| 洗衣服 | xǐ yī fu | to do the laundry |
| 洗衣机 | xǐ yī jī | washing machine |
| 晾 | liàng | to hang out (to dry) |
| 叠 | dié | to fold |
| 扫地 | sǎo dì | to sweep the floor |
| 拖地 | tuō dì | to mop the floor |
| 擦 | cā | to wipe |
| 整理 | zhěng lǐ | to tidy |
| 倒垃圾 | dào lā jī | to take out the rubbish |
| 做饭 | zuò fàn | to cook |
| 洗碗 | xǐ wǎn | to wash up |
| 干净 | gān jìng | clean |
| 脏 | zāng | dirty |
Usage tips
- The verb for doing housework is 做 (zuò): 做家务 (zuò jiā wù). In casual northern speech you'll also hear 干家务 (gàn jiā wù).
- Adding 一下 (yī xià) or doubling the verb softens a request: 擦一下桌子 (cā yī xià zhuō zi), 晾一晾 (liàng yī liàng). It sounds much less bossy than a bare command.
- 倒 (dào) in 倒垃圾 means to tip out or empty, the same verb as in 倒水 (dào shuǐ), 'pour water'; and 轮到你了 (lún dào nǐ le) is how you tell someone it's their turn.
Common mistakes
- Using 打扫 (dǎ sǎo) for dishes or clothes: 打扫 is for cleaning a space, like a room or kitchen, while clothes and dishes are 洗 (xǐ), as in 洗衣服 and 洗碗.
- Using 干净 (gān jìng) as a verb, as in 我干净房间: it's an adjective. Say 我打扫房间 (wǒ dǎ sǎo fáng jiān), or 把房间打扫干净 (bǎ fáng jiān dǎ sǎo gān jìng) for 'get the room clean'.
Mini dialogue
- A今天轮到谁倒垃圾？Jīn tiān lún dào shéi dào lā jī?Whose turn is it to take out the rubbish today?
- B是你！我已经洗完碗了。Shì nǐ! Wǒ yǐ jīng xǐ wán wǎn le.Yours! I've already done the washing-up.
- A好吧。那你可以扫地吗？Hǎo ba. Nà nǐ kě yǐ sǎo dì ma?Fine. Then could you sweep the floor?
- B行，我扫地，你拖地。Xíng, wǒ sǎo dì, nǐ tuō dì.OK, I'll sweep and you mop.
Example sentences
- 周末我们一起做家务。We do the housework together at weekends.
- 客人来之前要打扫一下。We need to clean up before the guests arrive.
- 我每个星期六洗衣服。I do the laundry every Saturday.
- 洗衣机好像坏了。The washing machine seems to be broken.
- 天气好，把衣服拿出去晾一晾。It's a nice day, so hang the clothes out to dry.
- 他把衣服叠得很整齐。He folded the clothes very neatly.
- 你扫地，我来擦桌子。You sweep the floor and I'll wipe the table.
- 拖地以后地上很滑。The floor is slippery after it's been mopped.
- 吃完饭请把桌子擦一下。Please wipe the table after you've eaten.
- 我得整理一下我的房间。I need to tidy my room.
- 今天轮到你倒垃圾了。It's your turn to take out the rubbish today.
- 今天晚上我来做饭。I'll cook tonight.
- 你做饭，我洗碗。You cook and I'll wash up.
- 厨房打扫得很干净。The kitchen has been cleaned really well.
- 你的鞋太脏了，别进来！Your shoes are too dirty. Don't come in!
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Household chores speaking island has 8 everyday questions about household chores to prepare your own answers to.