Take a Shower in Chinese 🛀🏻 Vocabulary, Phrases, and Practice

Practical Guide to Talking About Taking a Shower in Chinese

There are many different opinions about how to learn Chinese: write characters, learn karaoke, the list goes on.

But, there’s one strategy that you probably haven’t heard of: take a shower in Chinese.

Am I serious? Is this just some weird metaphor for immersion?

Yes… and no. Learning Chinese takes commitment. So, level up your commitment by studying Chinese everywhere: even in the shower!

By the end of this article, you will have bathed yourself in Chinese vocabulary, lathered up your hair with sample sentences, scrubbed up with new knowledge of common shampoo brands found in China, and finally, rinsed off, with practice situations that will prepare you to apply this knowledge in the real world!

Shower in Chinese – Intro

Shower in Chinese – Basic Shower Vocabulary

Shower in Chinese – Common Shower Brands

Shower in Chinese – Full Sentences

Shower in Chinese – Advanced Tips

Shower in Chinese – Real Life Practice

BONUS – QUIZ

Shower in Chinese – FAQs

Shower in Chinese || Intro

If you aren’t in China, consider labeling your shampoo bottles with these words or taping a laminated page with shower-related vocabulary and phrases in your shower so that you can 复习 (review) every time you bathe – which is hopefully frequently!

However, if you are in China, or considering travelling to China for a semester or a summer internship, consider this your shopping survival guide so that you don’t accidentally end up going home with three bottles of conditioner instead of what you actually need: body wash, shampoo, and conditioner.

Although shopping for basic groceries and toiletries sounds easy until you actually walk into a store and realize that you never learned the word for shampoo and can’t tell which of the 30 options on the shelves is the bottle you need!

But, never fear, if you want to take a shower in Chinese, it is as easy as learning a few new vocabulary words.

In my experience, one simple shopping trip cemented these characters into my memory forever.

Immersion really does work!

Shower in Chinese || Basic Shower Vocabulary

EnglishChinese Hanzi (Pinyin)
Shampoo 洗发水 (xǐfàshuǐ), 洗发露 (xǐfàlù)
Conditioner 护发素 (hùfàsù)
Body Wash 沐浴露 (mùyùlù)
Loofah丝瓜络 (sīguāluò)
Hair dryer 吹风机 (chuīfēngjī)
Towel 毛巾 (máojīn)
Face wash 洗面奶 (xǐmiànnǎi)
Moisturizer 护肤霜 (hùfūshuāng)
Soap 肥皂 (féizào)
To bathe 洗澡 (xǐzǎo)
To shower 淋浴 (línyù)

Shower in Chinese || Common Shower Product Brands

Brand in Chinese
Brand in Chinese

Walking into a grocery store in a foreign country can be dizzying. New products, new items, so many choices to make- all in a foreign language! Decision making can be hard.

That’s why it is useful to familiarize yourself with some of the most common brands in advance.

Some of these are international brands, others are found only in China.

If you are extremely particular about your hair care brands or have a hair type that is very uncommon in China (extremely curly, for example), you may want to pack some extra product in your suitcase.

Most products available internationally are also available in China, but some are much more expensive and difficult to find.

Luckily, if you have straight or wavy hair, the options at Chinese grocery stores should be sufficient!

Haircut-in-Chinese

Although international grocers in bigger cities may offer a simplified shopping experience by selling items labelled in English, you will save a lot of money and transit time by simply heading over to your nearest supermarket to stock up on shower supplies.

Start practising your Chinese now!

The key to learning to take a shower in Chinese is to really use the small details in life to learn useful Chinese that you can connect immediately to your life.

(Like learning about different brands you will see in China? Check out this list of common milk tea brands!)

36 Brand Names and Phrases in Chinese || The Complete Guide Thumbnail

36 Brand Names and Phrases in Chinese || The Complete Guide

Is Adidas, Adidas in China? No, actually! Let’s teach you some of the worlds most famous brands and their brand names in Chinese.

Shower in Chinese || Full Sentences

The most common way to announce that you are going to take a shower in Chinese is to say “我要去洗澡了.” (I’m going to go shower/take a bath, wǒyào qù xǐzǎo le).

Although in English, people tend to more specifically say “I’m going to go shower” or “I’m going to take a nice relaxing bath tonight,” 洗澡 (to bathe, xǐzǎo), as opposed to 淋浴 (to shower, línyù) is the most common word to refer to any form of washing up.

Consider these other sentences and see if you notice any of the vocabulary listed above.

Remember that you can print out this list and stick it near your shower to really take a shower in Chinese!

ChineseEnglish
沐浴露在哪里?
mùyùlù zài nǎlǐ
Where is the body wash?
我要去洗澡了。
wǒyào qù xǐzǎo le
I’m going to go bathe/shower!
她每天洗两次淋浴
tā měitiān xǐ liǎngcì línyù
She showered twice a day.
用洗发液洗洗头发然后擦干。
yòng xǐfāyè xǐxǐ 
tóufa ránhòu cāgān
Shampoo your hair and dry it.
在洗澡或淋浴后,用丝瓜络按摩身体。
zài xǐzǎo huò línyù 
hòu yòng sīguāluò ànmó shēntǐ
After a bath or shower rub down the whole body with a loofah.

Shower in Chinese || Advanced Chinese Learner Practice

One great way to improve your listening skills and expand your vocabulary is to watch children’s TV shows in Chinese or sing along to repetitive theme tunes!

Peppa Pig is all the rage in China, both among ironic hipster youth getting Peppa tattoos and the youngest of children who non-ironically love Peppa for her cheerful, educational ways.

Watching children’s shows like Peppa Pig (小猪佩奇 , xiǎo zhū pèiqí) is a great way to embrace the “take a shower in Chinese” learning philosophy at a metaphorical level.

TV and other media like music are important tools to help you learn how people truly use the Chinese language and to adjust your ears to the phrasings and sounds of Chinese.

Shower in Chinese || Real Life Practice

Imagine you are in the following situations where you will need to use your newfound vocabulary to successfully take a shower in Chinese.

What will you say (in Chinese!)? What do you think the other person will say in response?

  1. You are in a grocery store in Shanghai looking for shampoo. All you can find is laundry detergent! You see someone in the store uniform. How will you ask them where the shampoo is?
  2. You have arrived at the section with shampoo, but there are so many bottles of different brands. How will you ask for a suggestion or recommendation?
  3. You are doing a homestay in Beijing and do not know if you are allowed to use the family’s shampoo. How do you ask?

For bonus points and extra practice, shower the world with your answers in the comments below!

🚿🚿🚿 Shower Quiz 🚿🚿🚿

Ready to put yourself to the test?

Welcome to our Shower Quiz! Enter your First name and email to begin. Don't worry you can unsubscribe at any time!

First Name
Email
洗澡 (xǐzǎo)

护肤霜 (hùfūshuāng)

Hair dryer

Shower

丝瓜络 (sīguāluò)

Face Wash

护发素 (hùfàsù)

Shampoo

Body Wash

毛巾 (máojīn)

Shower in Chinese || FAQs

How do you say Shower in Chinese?

淋浴 (línyù)

How do you say Bath in Chinese?

洗澡 (xǐzǎo)

How do you say “I’m going for a bath/shower” in Chinese?

我要去洗澡了。wǒyào qù xǐzǎo le

How do you say Body Wash in Chinese?

沐浴露 (mùyùlù)

How do you say Conditioner in Chinese?

护发素 (hùfàsù)

How do you say Shampoo in Chinese?

洗发水 (xǐfàshuǐ) or 洗发露 (xǐfàlù)

How do you say “She showered twice a day in Chinese”?

她每天洗两次淋浴。tā měitiān xǐ liǎngcì línyù

How do you say “Where is the body wash” in Chinese?

沐浴露在哪里? mùyùlù zài nǎlǐ

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  1. Tim B
    Reply

    Superb blog 😂 never thought I’d read about learning how to shower in another language!

      1. Tim B
        Reply

        Haha no way!! Love to see it

  2. 我每天洗澡

    1. Max Hobbs
      Reply

      👏