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Introduction:

Toilet has several equivalent names in Chinese, such as the elegant “洗手间”[xǐshǒujiān] or “卫生间” [wèishēngjiān](washing room); then there is the oral form “厕所” [cèsuǒ](water closet), and rural name “茅房”[máofáng], which means that the toilet is build with thatch.

Public toilets in old days were neither clean nor free of charge. Tourists frowned upon toilets and Chinese felt embarrassed because of them. However, nowadays, with the development of Chinese cities, public toilets are also becoming cleaner and free of charge. Some toilets are so beautifully designed and established that you find it hard to call them public toilets.

Text:

Pinyin:

公共卫生间【gōnggòng wèishēngjiān】

Grammar;

公共 [gōnggòng] Adj. public; common; communal

公共财产[gōnggòng cáichǎn] public property

公共建筑[gōnggòng jiànzhù] public buildings

公共食堂[gōnggòng shítáng] canteen; mess; cafeteria

卫生间 [wèishēnɡjiān] Noun. toilet, rest room

“卫生间” (toilet) usually combines with the verb “去[qù]” (go),

for example:

Tā qù wèishēngjiān le.

他 去 卫 生 间 了。

He went to the toilet.

In Oral Chinese, “上” is often found being used together with toilet, such as,

Wǒ xiǎng shàng wèishēngjiān.

我 想 上 卫 生 间。

I want to go to the toilet.

Learning Characters: 公　共　生

(Source: chineseculture.about.com)