清楚

Chinese

		clear; distinct; complete clear; distinct; complete; pure	distinct; clear; orderly distinct; clear; orderly; pain; suffering; ancient place name; surname
trad. (清楚)		清	楚
simp. #(清楚)		清	楚

Etymology

(pure; innocent): Orthographic borrowing from Japanese 清(せい)楚(そ) (seiso)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qīngchu, qīngchǔ

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄥ ˙ㄔㄨ, ㄑㄧㄥ ㄔㄨˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): cing¹ co²

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): chhîn-chhú
• Eastern Min (BUC): chĭng-chū
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): chheng-chhó / chheng-chhó͘

  (Teochew, Peng'im): cêng¹ co²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qīngchu
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄥ ˙ㄔㄨ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cingchů
    • Wade–Giles: chʻing¹-chʻu⁵
    • Yale: chīng-chu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ching.chu
    • Palladius: цинчу (cinču)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu²/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Taiwan, variant in Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qīngchǔ
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄥ ㄔㄨˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cingchǔ
    • Wade–Giles: chʻing¹-chʻu³
    • Yale: chīng-chǔ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chingchuu
    • Palladius: цинчу (cinču)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)⁺
    • Jyutping: cing¹ co²
    • Yale: chīng chó
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsing¹ tso²
    • Guangdong Romanization: qing¹ co²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɪŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɔː³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhîn-chhú
    • Hakka Romanization System: qin^ˊ cu^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: qin¹ cu³
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰin²⁴ t͡sʰu³¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: chĭng-chū
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ^(t͡sʰ-)ʒu³³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chheng-chhó
    • Tâi-lô: tshing-tshó
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhengzhoir
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sʰiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰɤ⁴¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡sʰiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰo⁵³/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /t͡sʰiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰo⁵³/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, variant in Taiwan, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chheng-chhó͘
    • Tâi-lô: tshing-tshóo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhengzhor
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡sʰiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰɔ⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sʰiɪŋ³³ t͡sʰɔ⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sʰiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰɔ⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /t͡sʰiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰɔ⁵³/
    • IPA (Singapore): /t͡sʰeŋ⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰɔ⁴²/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: cêng¹ co²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsheng tshó
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰeŋ³³⁻²³ t͡sʰo⁵²/

Adjective

清楚

1. clear; lucid
2. clear (about a matter); unambiguous
3. plain; distinct; obvious
4. (obsolete or Eastern Min) tidy; neat; refined
5. (ACG, neologism, of a person) pure; innocent

Usage notes

• Used often in a figurative sense (e.g. to be clear on a matter), rather than in a literal sense. For the literal clear (e.g. clear water), see 清澈 (qīngchè).

Synonyms

• (clear): 清朗 (qīnglǎng), (Wu) 清爽
• (plain):

edit

• 分明 (fēnmíng)
• 分曉 / 分晓 (fēnxiǎo)
• 明白
• 明瞭 / 明了 (míngliǎo)
• 明確 / 明确 (míngquè)
• 清晰 (qīngxī)
• 清朗 (qīnglǎng)
• 疏朗 (shūlǎng) (literary)
• 鮮明 / 鲜明 (xiānmíng)

Antonyms

• 糊塗／糊涂 (hútu)

Adverb

清楚

1. clearly

   聽不清楚／听不清楚  ―  tīng bù qīngchǔ  ―  unable to hear clearly

   學習漢語發音一定要分清楚調類。 [Taiwanese Mandarin, trad.]
   学习汉语发音一定要分清楚调类。 [Taiwanese Mandarin, simp.]

   Xuéxí hànyǔ fāyīn yīdìng yào fēn qīngchǔ diàolèi. [Pinyin]

   It is essential to distinguish different tones when studying Chinese.

   既然你們都已經想清楚了，那我尊敬你們的意願。 [MSC, trad.]
   既然你们都已经想清楚了，那我尊敬你们的意愿。 [MSC, simp.]

   Jìrán nǐmen dōu yǐjīng xiǎng qīngchu le, nà wǒ zūnjìng nǐmen de yìyuàn. [Pinyin]

   Considering you have all thought it through, I will respect your wishes.

   你了解得很全面，講述得也很清楚。 [MSC, trad.]
   你了解得很全面，讲述得也很清楚。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ liǎojiě de hěn quánmiàn, jiǎngshù de yě hěn qīngchǔ. [Pinyin]

   You have a comprehensive understanding and can explain it clearly.

2. until a matter is clear (making sense, unambiguous, etc.)

   說清楚／说清楚  ―  shuōqīngchǔ  ―  to make something clear

Verb

清楚

1. to understand; to know; to comprehend

   你是一個什麼樣的人，我比誰都清楚。 [MSC, trad.]
   你是一个什么样的人，我比谁都清楚。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ shì yīge shénmeyàng de rén, wǒ bǐ shéi dōu qīngchu. [Pinyin]

   I know better than anyone else what kind of person you are.

   這句話的道理你應該清楚。 [MSC, trad.]
   这句话的道理你应该清楚。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhè jù huà de dàolǐ nǐ yīnggāi qīngchǔ. [Pinyin]

   You should understand the principle contained in this sentence.

Synonyms

edit

• 了解 (liǎojiě)
• 佔有 / 占有 (zhànyǒu)
• 分曉 / 分晓 (fēnxiǎo)
• 參悟 / 参悟 (cānwù)
• 悟 (wù) (literary, or in compounds)
• 懂 (dǒng)
• 懂得 (dǒngde)
• 打生 (Wenzhounese)
• 把握 (bǎwò)
• 掌握 (zhǎngwò)
• 明 (ming⁴) (Cantonese)
• 明白
• 明瞭 / 明了 (míngliǎo)
• 曉得 / 晓得 (xiǎode)
• 會悟 / 会悟 (huìwù) (literary)
• 洞悉 (dòngxī)
• 清亮 (mainland China)
• 熟似 (Hokkien)
• 熟悉 (shúxī)
• 熟稔 (shúrěn) (literary)
• 熟識 / 熟识 (shúshí)
• 理會 / 理会 (lǐhuì)
• 理解 (lǐjiě)
• 瞭悟 / 了悟 (liǎowù) (literary)
• 知影 (Hokkien, Teochew)
• 知悉 (zhīxī) (literary)
• 知曉 / 知晓 (zhīxiǎo)
• 知識 / 知识 (zhīshí) (literary)
• 知道 (zhīdào)
• 覺 / 觉
• 覺悟 / 觉悟 (juéwù)
• 覺醒 / 觉醒 (juéxǐng)
• 認識 / 认识
• 諳曉 / 谙晓 (ānxiǎo) (literary)
• 諳達 / 谙达 (āndá) (literary)
• 貫通 / 贯通 (guàntōng)
• 通曉 / 通晓 (tōngxiǎo)
• 通解 (tōngjiě) (literary)
• 通達 / 通达 (tōngdá)
• 達 / 达 (literary, or in compounds)
• 醒悟 (xǐngwù)
• 開悟 / 开悟 (kāiwù) (literary)
• 領悟 / 领悟 (lǐngwù)
• 領會 / 领会 (lǐnghuì)
• 領略 / 领略 (lǐnglüè)

Derived terms

• 一清二楚 (yīqīng'èrchǔ)
• 弄清楚
• 搞清楚
• 清清楚楚 (qīngqīngchǔchǔ)
• 說清楚 / 说清楚

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (清楚):

• → Japanese: 清(せい)楚(そ) (seiso)
• → Korean: 청초(淸楚) (cheongcho)

Further reading

• “清楚”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
清	楚
せい Grade: 4	そ Jinmeiyō
on'yomi

Alternative spelling
淸楚 (kyūjitai)

Adjective

清(せい)楚(そ) • (seiso) -na (adnominal 清(せい)楚(そ)な (seiso na), adverbial 清(せい)楚(そ)に (seiso ni))

1. neat and clean
2. tidy; trim

Inflection

Inflection of 清楚

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	清楚だろ	せいそだろ	seiso daro
Continuative (連用形)	清楚で	せいそで	seiso de
Terminal (終止形)	清楚だ	せいそだ	seiso da
Attributive (連体形)	清楚な	せいそな	seiso na
Hypothetical (仮定形)	清楚なら	せいそなら	seiso nara
Imperative (命令形)	清楚であれ	せいそであれ	seiso de are
Key constructions
Informal negative	清楚ではない 清楚じゃない	せいそではない せいそじゃない	seiso de wa nai seiso ja nai
Informal past	清楚だった	せいそだった	seiso datta
Informal negative past	清楚ではなかった 清楚じゃなかった	せいそではなかった せいそじゃなかった	seiso de wa nakatta seiso ja nakatta
Formal	清楚です	せいそです	seiso desu
Formal negative	清楚ではありません 清楚じゃありません	せいそではありません せいそじゃありません	seiso de wa arimasen seiso ja arimasen
Formal past	清楚でした	せいそでした	seiso deshita
Formal negative past	清楚ではありませんでした 清楚じゃありませんでした	せいそではありませんでした せいそじゃありませんでした	seiso de wa arimasen deshita seiso ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive	清楚で	せいそで	seiso de
Conditional	清楚なら（ば）	せいそなら（ば）	seiso nara (ba)
Provisional	清楚だったら	せいそだったら	seiso dattara
Volitional	清楚だろう	せいそだろう	seiso darō
Adverbial	清楚に	せいそに	seiso ni
Degree	清楚さ	せいそさ	seisosa

Noun

清(せい)楚(そ) • (seiso) 

1. neatness and cleanliness
2. tidiness

Descendants

• → English: seiso

References

• “清^▲楚”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎ (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2025
• Shinmura, Izuru, editor (1998), 広辞苑 [Kōjien] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN
• Kitahara, Yasuo, editor (2002), 明鏡国語辞典 [Meikyō Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Taishūkan Shoten, →ISBN
• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.