Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
干净(乾淨)gānjìng(gan1jing4)
The term 干净 (gān jìng) means 'clean' or 'neat' and is used to describe cleanliness in both physical environments and personal hygiene. It can refer to a tidy room, clean clothes, or an overall sense of orderliness. This word is commonly used in everyday conversation, especially in contexts related to housekeeping or personal appearance.
Frequency#1309DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, cleanliness is often associated with respect and good fortune. For example, during traditional festivals, people clean their homes thoroughly to sweep away bad luck and welcome good fortune.
Memory Tip
Imagine a 'gan' (干) of wheat that is 'jing' (净) - pure and clean. Visualize a sparkling, tidy room where everything is in its place, representing the essence of cleanliness. The components 干 (gan) suggest 'to do' or 'to work', implying effort put into keeping things clean.
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI Study Notes for 干净
Quick Contrast
整洁 (zhěngjié) - use 干净 for physical cleanliness, while 整洁 emphasizes tidiness and order.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a 'gan' (干) of wheat that is 'jing' (净) - pure and clean. Visualize a sparkling, tidy room where everything is in its place, representing the essence of cleanliness. The components 干 (gan) suggest 'to do' or 'to work', implying effort put into keeping things clean.
Usage Notes
Be mindful of the tone when pronouncing 干净 (gān jìng), as mispronouncing it could lead to misunderstandings. It is often used in both formal and informal settings, but avoid using it in overly poetic or literary contexts. Common collocations include 干净的房间 (clean room) and 干净的衣服 (clean clothes).
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 3 word, 干净 connects with other adjectives describing states or qualities, such as 漂亮 (piàoliang - beautiful) and 安静 (ānjìng - quiet). Students should focus on using 干净 in sentences to describe their surroundings or personal items.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, cleanliness is often associated with respect and good fortune. For example, during traditional festivals, people clean their homes thoroughly to sweep away bad luck and welcome good fortune.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 干净 with 整齐 (zhěngqí), which means 'tidy' but emphasizes order rather than cleanliness. For example, saying '这个房间整齐' (zhège fángjiān zhěngqí) instead of '这个房间干净' (zhège fángjiān gānjìng) when referring to cleanliness is incorrect.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 干净
Premium — Locked
AI tone practice
Pro
Drill the tone of 干净 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 干净 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Write correctly 3 times to earn XP
Grammar Patterns of 干净
干净 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
tā mén gēng jiā guān xīn nà xiē gǒu de ān wēi， ， ér fēi zì jǐ rú hé gān jìng lì luò dì tuō。
They were more concerned about the dogs' welfare than a clean getaway.
2
除了厨房特别干净外，这地方一片狼藉。
chú le chú fáng tè bié gān jìng wài， ， zhè dì fāng yī piàn láng。
Except for the remarkably tidy kitchen, the place was a mess.
3
他擦了又擦，可就是擦不干净。
tā cā le yòu cā， ， kě jiù shì cā bù gān。
He rubbed and rubbed but couldn't seem to get clean.
4
在拿吃的之前，用热肥皂水把手好好地洗干净。
zài ná chī de zhī qián， ， yòng rè féi zào shuǐ bǎ shǒu hǎo hǎo dì xǐ gān。
Wash your hands thoroughly with hot soapy water before handling any food.
5
拿扫帚把那些玻璃清扫干净好吗？
ná sǎo zhǒu bǎ nà xiē bō lí qīng sǎo gān jìng hǎo ma？
Get a broom and sweep up that glass will you?
6
他未能干净利落地同那起攻击事件撇清关系。
tā wèi néng gān jìng lì luò dì tóng nà qǐ gōng jī shì jiàn piē qīng guān xì。
He has failed to dissociate himself clearly and unambiguously from the attack.
7
她那擦得干干净净的架子上排列着几百个果酱罐。
tā nà cā dé gān gān jìng jìng de jià zǐ shàng pái liè zháo jī bǎi gè guǒ jiàng guàn。
Hundreds of jam pots lined her scrubbed shelves.
8
在不干净的水中洗澡，他们可能会受到感染。
zài bù gān jìng de shuǐ zhōng xǐ zǎo， ， tā mén kě néng huì shòu dào gǎn。
By bathing in unclean water, they expose themselves to contamination.
9
趁着烧水的时候，她决定将地毯抖抖干净。
chèn zháo shāo shuǐ de shí hòu， ， tā jué dìng jiāng dì tǎn dǒu dǒu gān。
While the water was heating she decided to shake out the carpet.
10
她小心翼翼地把枪擦拭干净，放进枪盒里锁好。
tā xiǎo xīn yì yì dì bǎ qiāng cā shì gān jìng， ， fàng jìn qiāng hé lǐ suǒ。
She meticulously cleaned the gun and locked it away in its case.
Cultural Notes for 干净
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, cleanliness is often associated with respect and good fortune. For example, during traditional festivals, people clean their homes thoroughly to sweep away bad luck and welcome good fortune.
Frequently Asked Questions about 干净
You can say '这个房间很干净' (zhège fángjiān hěn gānjìng) which means 'This room is very clean.'
干净 can be used in both formal and informal contexts, making it versatile in everyday conversation.
