Dictionary🇨🇳 Chinese → 🇺🇸 English
皂
zào
Description
“皂”常常和“肥”一起用，说的是我们洗手、洗澡时用的东西。
"皂" is often used together with "肥", referring to the things we use to wash hands and bathe.
这个字很少一个人用，多在“肥皂”“香皂”里出现。
This character is rarely used alone, mostly appearing in "肥皂" and "香皂".
Meanings
肥皂féizào
soap (for washing)
洗手要用肥皂。
Wash your hands with soap.
皂zào
black (literary/old usage)
他分不清皂白。
He can't tell right from wrong.
Related words
Notes
- Nuance
rarely used alone today; mostly appears in compounds like 肥皂 (soap) or 皂白.
- Etymology
originally meant the color black; the soap sense comes from 肥皂 (soapberry pods used for washing).
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