เช็ด

Explanation

The central image of เช็ด is moving a cloth, towel, tissue, or similar material over a surface to remove something attached to it. It can be used for moisture, sweat, tears, dust, and dirt. A common pattern is เช็ด followed by the surface or body part being wiped, as in เช็ดโต๊ะ (“wipe the table”) and เช็ดหน้า (“wipe one’s face”). The object can also be what is removed, as in เช็ดเหงื่อ (“wipe off sweat”) and เช็ดน้ำตา (“wipe away tears”). เช็ดให้สะอาด means to wipe something clean, while เช็ดให้แห้ง means to wipe something dry. เช็ด is a neutral, everyday word.

Usage

เช็ด is common when cleaning tables, floors, windows, mirrors, and cars. It is also used when drying washed hands or dishes and when wiping the face, mouth, sweat, or tears. In everyday care, it appears in expressions such as เช็ดตัว (“wipe or sponge the body”) and เช็ดแผล (“clean a wound by wiping it”).

Caution

Do not confuse wiping with washing. Washing dishes with water is ล้างจาน; เช็ดจาน means wiping or drying them with a cloth. When the emphasis is on forceful or repeated rubbing rather than removing something by wiping, ถู is usually more appropriate.

1 wipe synonyms

• ซับ

  sáp blot up (liquid)

  ซับ means to absorb moisture by gently pressing or dabbing with a cloth or tissue. เช็ด more broadly involves moving the material across a surface to wipe moisture or dirt away.

• ถู

  thǔu scrub

  ถู emphasizes rubbing a surface, often with repeated motion or pressure. เช็ด focuses on wiping something to remove moisture or dirt.

• ล้าง

  láaŋ wash

  ล้าง means to wash or rinse with water or another liquid. เช็ด means to wipe with a cloth or similar material: ล้างจาน is “wash the dishes,” while เช็ดจาน is “wipe or dry the dishes.”