How to Write 盥 (guàn) — Meaning “to wash (hands or face)”

Imagine two hands (like 臼) holding a bowl of water (水) over a basin (皿) to wash. Picture yourself pouring water from the top into the basin below — this whole scene means 'wash.'

盥 has 16 strokes, and the top part is written first: the left side of 臼, then the right, then the middle horizontal, then the water component below. A common mistake is to make the top too wide or to forget that the water part (水) is slightly compressed under 臼.

Common expressions include 盥洗室 (guàn xǐ shì) meaning 'washroom' or 'bathroom,' and 盥洗 (guàn xǐ) meaning 'to wash up' (often for face and hands). For example, you might say '我去盥洗室洗手' (I’ll go to the restroom to wash my hands).

盥 is a formal or literary character used mainly in written signs or formal terms for washing facilities, like 盥洗室 in public buildings. It is not common in daily spoken conversations, where simpler words like 洗 (xǐ) or 洗手间 (xǐ shǒu jiān) are used.

Common words containing 盥 include: 盥洗室 (guàn xǐ shì) — washroom; restroom; bathroom; 盥洗 (guàn xǐ) — to wash up; to perform ablutions; 盥洗盆 (guàn xǐ pén) — washbasin; sink.