noun HSK 4
Traditional 掃帚
broom
Meaning
扫帚 is the common Chinese word for a broom, the household cleaning tool used for sweeping floors. The word combines 扫 (to sweep) with 帚, an old character specifically meaning broom or brush.
Usage
This is the everyday word Chinese speakers use for any type of broom. It appears frequently in household contexts and cleaning discussions. Native speakers typically use the measure word 把 when counting brooms.
Examples
- 01我买了一把新扫帚来打扫房间。.I bought a new broom to clean the room.
- 02请把扫帚拿来，地上有很多灰尘。, .Please bring the broom over, there's a lot of dust on the floor.
Characters
Measure words
- 把一把扫帚
Common collocations
- 拿扫帚to take/hold a broom
- 用扫帚扫地to sweep the floor with a broom
- 扫帚和簸箕broom and dustpan
Origin
The character 帚 is an ancient pictograph depicting a hand holding a bundle of twigs or brush for sweeping. Combined with 扫 (to sweep), it creates the compound word for the sweeping tool itself.