Meaning
洁 means clean or pure, emphasizing a state of being spotless or untainted. It commonly appears in compound words related to cleanliness and purity, both physical and moral. While less frequently used alone in everyday speech, it's a fundamental component in many common words like 清洁 (clean), 洁净 (spotless), and 整洁 (neat and tidy).
Usage
洁 is somewhat literary when used alone and more commonly appears in compounds. It's used for both physical cleanliness (a clean room) and abstract purity (moral integrity, pure intentions). In modern usage, you'll hear it most often in words like 清洁工 (cleaner), 洁癖 (obsession with cleanliness), and 整洁 (tidy). The character carries a positive connotation of purity and orderliness.
Examples
- 01她的房间总是保持得很整洁。.Her room is always kept very neat and tidy.
- 02这个孩子心地纯洁，从不说谎。, .This child has a pure heart and never lies.
Common collocations
- 清洁工cleaner, janitor
- 洁癖obsession with cleanliness, germaphobia
- 保持整洁to keep tidy/neat
- 洁净无瑕spotlessly clean, pure and flawless
Antonyms
Origin
The traditional form 潔 combines the water radical 氵(water) with 絜, which originally meant to bind together or to measure. The combination suggests the idea of washing with water to achieve purity or cleanliness.