Bathroom Vocabulary in Traditional Chinese: 75+ Words + Handy Patterns (No Awkward Pointing)

This list gives you bathroom words you’ll actually use: the place names (so you can find one), the stuff inside (so you can ask for it), and the verbs (so you can survive hotel plumbing without miming like a confused penguin).

Every item comes with Traditional Chinese, pinyin with tone marks, an English meaning, and a real example sentence with pinyin and translation.

Yak Snark (Bathroom Edition)

Bathroom vocabulary is 10% “polite society” and 90% “I need this right now.” Let’s learn both, because dignity is optional but communication is not.

Section 1: The “I Need This Now” Visual Cards

廁所

cè suǒ

toilet / restroom

廁所在右邊。

cè suǒ zài yòu biān.

The restroom is on the right.

洗手間

xǐ shǒu jiān

washroom (common, polite)

我先去洗手間一下。

wǒ xiān qù xǐ shǒu jiān yí xià.

I’m going to the washroom for a moment.

化妝室

huà zhuāng shì

restroom (very polite; “powder room” vibe)

請問這裡有化妝室嗎？

qǐng wèn zhè lǐ yǒu huà zhuāng shì ma?

Excuse me, is there a restroom here?

馬桶

mǎ tǒng

toilet (the actual thing)

請把馬桶蓋放下來。

qǐng bǎ mǎ tǒng gài fàng xià lái.

Please put the toilet lid down.

洗手台

xǐ shǒu tái

sink / washbasin

洗手台旁邊有肥皂。

xǐ shǒu tái páng biān yǒu féi zào.

There’s soap next to the sink.

衛生紙

wèi shēng zhǐ

toilet paper / tissue paper

衛生紙在抽屜裡。

wèi shēng zhǐ zài chōu tì lǐ.

The toilet paper is in the drawer.

肥皂

féi zào

soap (bar soap)

請用肥皂洗手。

qǐng yòng féi zào xǐ shǒu.

Please wash your hands with soap.

毛巾

máo jīn

towel

毛巾掛在門後面。

máo jīn guà zài mén hòu miàn.

The towel is hanging behind the door.

Section 1.01: Useful Bathroom Phrases You Can Copy-Paste

請問廁所在哪裡？

qǐng wèn cè suǒ zài nǎ lǐ?

Excuse me, where is the restroom?

Bonus: 超級安全句。說了就有人會救你（指路）。

我想上廁所。

wǒ xiǎng shàng cè suǒ.

I want to use the restroom.

Use it when you need to tell someone (host, staff, friend).

可以借一下洗手間嗎？

kě yǐ jiè yí xià xǐ shǒu jiān ma?

May I use the washroom?

Borrow (借) sounds polite in Taiwan for “may I use.”

這裡有人嗎？

zhè lǐ yǒu rén ma?

Is anyone in here?

Door knock phrase. Very human. Very necessary.

裡面有人。

lǐ miàn yǒu rén.

Someone is inside.

Translation: “Occupied.” But with words.

沒有人。

méi yǒu rén.

No one is inside.

Also works for “It’s empty.”

請排隊。

qǐng pái duì.

Please line up.

Useful in busy public restrooms. People get… creative.

我很快。

wǒ hěn kuài.

I’ll be quick.

Polite and buys you social peace.

麻煩補一下衛生紙。

má fán bǔ yí xià wèi shēng zhǐ.

Could you please restock the toilet paper?

麻煩 = “sorry to bother you” (very Taiwan-friendly).

地板很滑，小心。

dì bǎn hěn huá, xiǎo xīn.

The floor is slippery—careful.

Safety first, dramatic fall later (preferably never).

請保持清潔。

qǐng bǎo chí qīng jié.

Please keep it clean.

Common sign and also a gentle life philosophy.

請勿吸菸。

qǐng wù xī yān.

No smoking, please.

請勿 is the “sign voice” of Chinese.

Common “Bathroom Grammar Patterns” (Tiny, Useful, Not Painful)

These are patterns you’ll see on signs, hear in real life, and use when you’re trying to be polite while your brain is screaming “TOILET NOW.”

1) 請問 + …在哪裡？ (Polite “Where is…?”)

Start with 請問 to sound polite. Then ask where something is.

請問化妝室在哪裡？

qǐng wèn huà zhuāng shì zài nǎ lǐ?

Excuse me, where is the restroom?

2) 可以…嗎？ / 能…嗎？ (May I…?)

可以 is very common. 能 feels a bit like “is it possible.” Both work.

可以借一下洗手間嗎？

kě yǐ jiè yí xià xǐ shǒu jiān ma?

May I use the washroom?

3) 有沒有…？ (Do you have…?)

Great for supplies: toilet paper, soap, towels, hot water, etc.

這裡有沒有肥皂？

zhè lǐ yǒu méi yǒu féi zào?

Is there any soap here?

4) 把 + 東西 + 動作 (Do something to an object)

Use 把 when you want someone to do something with a specific thing.

請把門關上。

qǐng bǎ mén guān shàng.

Please close the door.

5) 先…再… (First… then…)

Perfect for routines and instructions. It sounds natural and clear.

先沖水，再洗手。

xiān chōng shuǐ, zài xǐ shǒu.

Flush first, then wash your hands.

6) 正在… (In the middle of doing…)

Useful for “Occupied” situations without sounding rude.

不好意思，我正在用。

bù hǎo yì si, wǒ zhèng zài yòng.

Sorry, I’m using it right now.

7) 別 / 不要… (Don’t…)

Common on signs and reminders. 別 is slightly softer in conversation.

別忘了洗手。

bié wàng le xǐ shǒu.

Don’t forget to wash your hands.

8) 需要…嗎？ (Do you need…?)

Nice for hotels, hosts, or when you’re offering help.

你需要毛巾嗎？

nǐ xū yào máo jīn ma?

Do you need a towel?

Section 1.1: Quick Taiwan Note — 廁所 vs 洗手間 vs 化妝室

In Taiwan, all three are common: 廁所 cè suǒ = direct, everyday 洗手間 xǐ shǒu jiān = polite, common 化妝室 huà zhuāng shì = very polite (shops, restaurants) If you’re unsure, 洗手間 is the safest “sounds normal” pick.

Section 2: Table of Words (Grouped, So Your Brain Doesn’t Melt)

A) Restroom Types & Signs

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
公共廁所	gōng gòng cè suǒ	public restroom	這附近有公共廁所嗎？ zhè fù jìn yǒu gōng gòng cè suǒ ma?	Is there a public restroom nearby?
男廁	nán cè	men’s restroom	男廁在左邊。 nán cè zài zuǒ biān.	The men’s restroom is on the left.
女廁	nǚ cè	women’s restroom	女廁要排隊。 nǚ cè yào pái duì.	There’s a line for the women’s restroom.
無障礙廁所	wú zhàng ài cè suǒ	accessible restroom	無障礙廁所在這一層。 wú zhàng ài cè suǒ zài zhè yì céng.	The accessible restroom is on this floor.
親子廁所	qīn zǐ cè suǒ	family restroom	親子廁所通常比較大。 qīn zǐ cè suǒ tōng cháng bǐ jiào dà.	Family restrooms are usually bigger.
尿布台	niào bù tái	diaper changing table	這裡有尿布台嗎？ zhè lǐ yǒu niào bù tái ma?	Is there a diaper changing table here?
哺乳室	bǔ rǔ shì	nursing room	哺乳室在服務台旁邊。 bǔ rǔ shì zài fú wù tái páng biān.	The nursing room is next to the service desk.
小便斗	xiǎo biàn dǒu	urinal	男廁裡有小便斗。 nán cè lǐ yǒu xiǎo biàn dǒu.	There are urinals in the men’s restroom.
洗手乳	xǐ shǒu rǔ	hand soap (liquid)	洗手乳快用完了。 xǐ shǒu rǔ kuài yòng wán le.	The hand soap is almost finished.
請勿吸菸	qǐng wù xī yān	No smoking (sign)	門上寫著「請勿吸菸」。 mén shàng xiě zhe “qǐng wù xī yān”.	The door says “No smoking.”
請保持清潔	qǐng bǎo chí qīng jié	Please keep clean (sign)	牆上貼著「請保持清潔」。 qiáng shàng tiē zhe “qǐng bǎo chí qīng jié”.	There’s a sign saying “Please keep clean.”

B) Bathroom Fixtures & Parts

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
浴室	yù shì	bathroom (shower room)	浴室在臥室旁邊。 yù shì zài wò shì páng biān.	The bathroom is next to the bedroom.
淋浴間	lín yù jiān	shower stall	淋浴間的門要拉好。 lín yù jiān de mén yào lā hǎo.	Make sure the shower door is closed properly.
蓮蓬頭	lián péng tóu	shower head (handheld)	蓮蓬頭可以拿起來沖。 lián péng tóu kě yǐ ná qǐ lái chōng.	You can lift the shower head to rinse.
浴缸	yù gāng	bathtub	我今晚想泡浴缸。 wǒ jīn wǎn xiǎng pào yù gāng.	I want to take a bath tonight.
水龍頭	shuǐ lóng tóu	faucet	水龍頭有點漏水。 shuǐ lóng tóu yǒu diǎn lòu shuǐ.	The faucet is leaking a bit.
熱水	rè shuǐ	hot water	熱水要等一下才會來。 rè shuǐ yào děng yí xià cái huì lái.	You have to wait a bit for the hot water.
冷水	lěng shuǐ	cold water	不要直接用冷水沖頭。 bú yào zhí jiē yòng lěng shuǐ chōng tóu.	Don’t rinse your head with cold water directly.
排水孔	pái shuǐ kǒng	drain	排水孔好像堵住了。 pái shuǐ kǒng hǎo xiàng dǔ zhù le.	The drain seems clogged.
鏡子	jìng zi	mirror	鏡子上有水滴。 jìng zi shàng yǒu shuǐ dī.	There are water drops on the mirror.
地板	dì bǎn	floor	地板是濕的，小心。 dì bǎn shì shī de, xiǎo xīn.	The floor is wet—careful.
門鎖	mén suǒ	door lock	門鎖有點卡。 mén suǒ yǒu diǎn kǎ.	The lock is a bit stuck.
門把	mén bǎ	door handle	門把上有消毒酒精。 mén bǎ shàng yǒu xiāo dú jiǔ jīng.	There’s disinfecting alcohol on the door handle.
置物架	zhì wù jià	shelf	洗髮精放在置物架上。 xǐ fà jīng fàng zài zhì wù jià shàng.	The shampoo is on the shelf.
垃圾桶	lā jī tǒng	trash can	垃圾桶滿了。 lā jī tǒng mǎn le.	The trash can is full.

C) Toiletries & Supplies

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
牙刷	yá shuā	toothbrush	我的牙刷忘在浴室了。 wǒ de yá shuā wàng zài yù shì le.	I forgot my toothbrush in the bathroom.
牙膏	yá gāo	toothpaste	牙膏快擠完了。 yá gāo kuài jǐ wán le.	The toothpaste is almost used up.
漱口水	shù kǒu shuǐ	mouthwash	我刷牙後會用漱口水。 wǒ shuā yá hòu huì yòng shù kǒu shuǐ.	I use mouthwash after brushing my teeth.
牙線	yá xiàn	dental floss	你有帶牙線嗎？ nǐ yǒu dài yá xiàn ma?	Did you bring floss?
洗髮精	xǐ fà jīng	shampoo	洗髮精在淋浴間裡。 xǐ fà jīng zài lín yù jiān lǐ.	The shampoo is in the shower stall.
潤髮乳	rùn fà rǔ	conditioner	我需要潤髮乳，不然頭髮會打結。 wǒ xū yào rùn fà rǔ, bù rán tóu fà huì dǎ jié.	I need conditioner, or my hair will tangle.
沐浴乳	mù yù rǔ	body wash	沐浴乳聞起來很香。 mù yù rǔ wén qǐ lái hěn xiāng.	The body wash smells nice.
洗面乳	xǐ miàn rǔ	facial cleanser	我用洗面乳洗臉。 wǒ yòng xǐ miàn rǔ xǐ liǎn.	I wash my face with facial cleanser.
刮鬍刀	guā hú dāo	razor	刮鬍刀放在洗手台上。 guā hú dāo fàng zài xǐ shǒu tái shàng.	The razor is on the sink.
棉花棒	mián huā bàng	cotton swab	棉花棒在小盒子裡。 mián huā bàng zài xiǎo hé zi lǐ.	The cotton swabs are in a small box.
面紙	miàn zhǐ	facial tissue	可以給我一張面紙嗎？ kě yǐ gěi wǒ yì zhāng miàn zhǐ ma?	Can you give me a tissue?
濕紙巾	shī zhǐ jīn	wet wipes	我用濕紙巾擦手。 wǒ yòng shī zhǐ jīn cā shǒu.	I use wet wipes to wipe my hands.
消毒酒精	xiāo dú jiǔ jīng	disinfecting alcohol	出門前我會用消毒酒精。 chū mén qián wǒ huì yòng xiāo dú jiǔ jīng.	Before going out, I use disinfecting alcohol.

D) Bathroom Actions & Routines (Verbs You’ll Actually Say)

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
洗手	xǐ shǒu	wash hands	吃飯前記得洗手。 chī fàn qián jì dé xǐ shǒu.	Remember to wash your hands before eating.
擦手	cā shǒu	dry/wipe hands	洗完手用毛巾擦手。 xǐ wán shǒu yòng máo jīn cā shǒu.	After washing, dry your hands with a towel.
刷牙	shuā yá	brush teeth	我每天早上刷牙。 wǒ měi tiān zǎo shàng shuā yá.	I brush my teeth every morning.
漱口	shù kǒu	rinse mouth	刷牙後要漱口。 shuā yá hòu yào shù kǒu.	Rinse your mouth after brushing.
洗臉	xǐ liǎn	wash face	我起床先洗臉。 wǒ qǐ chuáng xiān xǐ liǎn.	When I get up, I wash my face first.
洗澡	xǐ zǎo	take a shower/bath	運動後我想洗澡。 yùn dòng hòu wǒ xiǎng xǐ zǎo.	After exercising, I want to shower.
淋浴	lín yù	shower (noun/verb)	我只需要快速淋浴一下。 wǒ zhǐ xū yào kuài sù lín yù yí xià.	I just need a quick shower.
泡澡	pào zǎo	take a bath (soak)	今天好冷，我想泡澡。 jīn tiān hǎo lěng, wǒ xiǎng pào zǎo.	It’s cold today—I want to soak in a bath.
上廁所	shàng cè suǒ	use the restroom	我現在要上廁所。 wǒ xiàn zài yào shàng cè suǒ.	I need to use the restroom now.
小便	xiǎo biàn	pee (neutral)	我去一下小便。 wǒ qù yí xià xiǎo biàn.	I’m going to pee for a moment.
大便	dà biàn	poop (neutral/medical-ish)	我肚子不舒服，可能要大便。 wǒ dù zi bù shū fú, kě néng yào dà biàn.	My stomach feels off; I might need to poop.
沖水	chōng shuǐ	flush / rinse with water	用完記得沖水。 yòng wán jì dé chōng shuǐ.	Remember to flush after using it.
清潔	qīng jié	clean (verb/noun)	這個浴室很乾淨，清潔做得很好。 zhè ge yù shì hěn gān jìng, qīng jié zuò de hěn hǎo.	This bathroom is very clean—the cleaning is done well.
消毒	xiāo dú	disinfect	我會把洗手台消毒一下。 wǒ huì bǎ xǐ shǒu tái xiāo dú yí xià.	I’ll disinfect the sink a bit.
補充	bǔ chōng	restock / refill	請補充洗手乳。 qǐng bǔ chōng xǐ shǒu rǔ.	Please refill the hand soap.

E) Problems & Maintenance (Because Bathrooms Love Drama)

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
漏水	lòu shuǐ	leak	水龍頭一直漏水。 shuǐ lóng tóu yì zhí lòu shuǐ.	The faucet keeps leaking.
堵住	dǔ zhù	clogged / blocked	馬桶好像堵住了。 mǎ tǒng hǎo xiàng dǔ zhù le.	The toilet seems clogged.
馬桶塞住	mǎ tǒng sāi zhù	toilet is blocked	不好意思，馬桶塞住了。 bù hǎo yì si, mǎ tǒng sāi zhù le.	Sorry, the toilet is blocked.
臭味	chòu wèi	bad smell	浴室有一點臭味。 yù shì yǒu yì diǎn chòu wèi.	The bathroom has a bit of a bad smell.
發霉	fā méi	moldy	角落有點發霉。 jiǎo luò yǒu diǎn fā méi.	The corner is a bit moldy.
滑	huá	slippery	地板很滑，走慢一點。 dì bǎn hěn huá, zǒu màn yì diǎn.	The floor is slippery—walk slower.
壞了	huài le	broken	吹風機壞了。 chuī fēng jī huài le.	The hair dryer is broken.
停水	tíng shuǐ	water outage	剛好停水了，沒辦法洗澡。 gāng hǎo tíng shuǐ le, méi bàn fǎ xǐ zǎo.	There’s a water outage, so I can’t shower.
水壓	shuǐ yā	water pressure	這裡的水壓有點小。 zhè lǐ de shuǐ yā yǒu diǎn xiǎo.	The water pressure here is a bit low.
報修	bào xiū	report for repair	我可以幫你報修。 wǒ kě yǐ bāng nǐ bào xiū.	I can report it for repair for you.
沒有衛生紙	méi yǒu wèi shēng zhǐ	no toilet paper	糟糕，這間沒有衛生紙。 zāo gāo, zhè jiān méi yǒu wèi shēng zhǐ.	Oh no, this stall has no toilet paper.
沒有肥皂	méi yǒu féi zào	no soap	洗手台這邊沒有肥皂。 xǐ shǒu tái zhè biān méi yǒu féi zào.	There’s no soap at this sink.
需要修理	xū yào xiū lǐ	needs fixing	這個門鎖需要修理。 zhè ge mén suǒ xū yào xiū lǐ.	This door lock needs fixing.

Section 3: Useful Variants (Synonyms, Polite Options, Measure Words)

What you mean	Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Notes
restroom (general)	廁所 / 洗手間 / 化妝室	cè suǒ / xǐ shǒu jiān / huà zhuāng shì	Taiwan: all common. 洗手間 is the safest everyday-polite choice.
toilet paper	衛生紙 / 廁紙	wèi shēng zhǐ / cè zhǐ	衛生紙 is more common in Taiwan. 廁紙 is also heard.
sink	洗手台 / 洗手盆	xǐ shǒu tái / xǐ shǒu pén	洗手台 is very Taiwan-common. 洗手盆 sounds a bit more “basin.”
hand soap	肥皂 / 洗手乳	féi zào / xǐ shǒu rǔ	肥皂 is bar soap; 洗手乳 is liquid hand soap.
measure words (super common)	一卷衛生紙 / 一條毛巾 / 一瓶洗髮精	yì juǎn wèi shēng zhǐ / yì tiáo máo jīn / yì píng xǐ fà jīng	卷 = roll, 條 = long flexible items, 瓶 = bottle.

Yak Snark (Before You Go)

If you remember just two things: 請問廁所在哪裡？ and 可以借一下洗手間嗎？ — congratulations, you’ve unlocked “traveling like a functional adult.”