How to Write 漱 (shù) — Meaning “to rinse / to gargle”

Imagine you are at a sink (氵) and you take a drink of water, then you "shoo" (shù) the water around your mouth like a lion roaring. The right side 欶 looks like a person with an open mouth (欠) and a head (木) — think of a wooden head gargling water. This visual links the water, the mouth, and the sound "shoo" together.

The left radical 氵 (three dots) should be written compactly, with the third dot angling slightly upward toward the right component. The right side 欶 is tricky: the top part 木 has a horizontal stroke that must cross the vertical, and the bottom 欠 requires a neat hook on the final stroke. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or forgetting the dot in 氵, so keep the overall character balanced.

渝 (yú) means "to change" and has the same left water radical but a different right side (俞) which looks like a boat with a moon — it has nothing to do with mouth or rinsing. 渡 (dù) means "to cross (a river)" and uses the right side 度, which contains a hand and a plan — think of crossing water. In contrast, 漱 always relates to mouth cleaning, and its right side contains 欠 (mouth open) and 木 (wood), hinting at gargling.

漱 is most common in daily hygiene words like 漱口 (shù kǒu, to rinse one's mouth) and 洗漱 (xǐ shù, to wash up, including face and teeth). You will also see it in 漱口水 (shù kǒu shuǐ, mouthwash) on product bottles. In China, rinsing the mouth after meals is a common practice, so this character appears frequently around bathroom sinks and dental care items.

Common words containing 漱 include: 漱口 (shù kǒu) — to rinse one's mouth; 洗漱 (xǐ shù) — To wash up (face and teeth).; 漱口水 (shù kǒu shuǐ) — mouthwash.