- Physical Spaces
- When applied to physical environments, this word refers to the act of removing clutter, debris, or unwanted items from a specific area, such as a room, a desk, or a storage unit, to make it usable again.
我们需要清理一下车库里的杂物。(We need to clean out the clutter in the garage.)
- Digital Contexts
- It is the standard term for clearing cache, deleting old files, emptying the digital trash bin, and optimizing computer or smartphone storage space.
手机内存满了,我得清理一下缓存。(My phone storage is full; I have to clear the cache.)
- Administrative and Financial
- In business, it refers to liquidating assets, sorting out complicated accounts, clearing up debts, or resolving long-standing bureaucratic issues.
会计正在清理公司的旧账。(The accountant is sorting out the company's old accounts.)
散步可以帮助我清理思路。(Taking a walk helps me clear my thoughts.)
政府决定清理河道里的垃圾。(The government decided to clear out the garbage in the river channel.)
- With Resultative Complements
- The most common complements used with this verb are 干净 (clean/completely) and 出去 (out/away). These emphasize that the clearing process has been successfully completed.
我已经把冰箱清理干净了。(I have already cleaned out the refrigerator completely.)
- With Adverbs of Degree and Frequency
- Placing adverbs like 彻底 (thoroughly) or 定期 (regularly) before the verb provides critical context about how the cleaning is performed.
为了保证电脑运行速度,你需要定期清理垃圾文件。(To ensure the computer runs fast, you need to regularly clear out junk files.)
- In Passive Structures
- Use 被 (bèi) to indicate that something was cleared away by someone or something, often used in public or municipal contexts.
路上的积雪已经被工人清理了。(The accumulated snow on the road has already been cleared by the workers.)
他清理出一张桌子来放新电脑。(He cleared off a desk to put the new computer on.)
请你把桌子清理一下。(Please clear off the desk a bit.)
- Household and Moving
- When a family is preparing to move to a new apartment, or during the traditional spring cleaning before the Lunar New Year, this word is constantly spoken as people decide what to throw away and what to keep.
搬家前,我们花了一整天清理旧衣服。(Before moving, we spent a whole day clearing out old clothes.)
- Digital Devices and Software
- Buttons prompting you to clear memory, delete browsing history, or remove junk files will almost universally use this specific verb.
请点击这里清理系统垃圾。(Please click here to clear system junk.)
- Municipal and Public Works
- Reports about clearing illegal structures, removing debris after a storm, or dredging rivers will utilize this term to describe the organized effort of government workers.
市容管理部门正在清理违章建筑。(The city appearance management department is clearing away illegal structures.)
破产后,法院指定了团队来清理公司资产。(After bankruptcy, the court appointed a team to liquidate the company's assets.)
我觉得我需要清理一下我的朋友圈。(I feel like I need to clean out my circle of friends.)
- Confusing with 打扫 (Sweeping/Cleaning)
- 打扫 refers specifically to the physical act of cleaning surfaces, usually involving sweeping, mopping, or wiping away dust and dirt. Our target word, however, implies sorting, organizing, and removing unwanted items.
Wrong: 我用拖把清理地板。(I used a mop to clear out the floor.)
- Confusing with 洗 (Washing)
- If the cleaning process inherently requires water and soap (like washing clothes, dishes, or hands), you must use 洗 (xǐ), never our target word.
Wrong: 饭后我需要清理盘子。(I need to clear out the plates after the meal - meaning wash them.)
- Confusing with 整理 (Organizing)
- 整理 means to tidy up or put things in order without necessarily throwing anything away. You keep all the items but arrange them neatly. Our target word strongly implies that some items will be discarded, deleted, or removed entirely.
If you just make your bed and stack your books neatly, you are doing 整理, not 清理.
Wrong: 周末我很忙,我需要清理。(I am busy this weekend, I need to clean out.)
Correct: 周末我很忙,我需要清理房间。(I am busy this weekend, I need to clean out the room.)
- 打扫 (dǎ sǎo) - To sweep / To clean
- This is the most basic word for physical cleaning. It focuses on removing dirt, dust, and grime from surfaces using tools like brooms, mops, or rags. It does not imply organizing files or throwing away old clothes.
我每天早上都会打扫客厅。(I clean the living room every morning.)
- 整理 (zhěng lǐ) - To arrange / To tidy up
- This word shares the second character 理 (logic/order) with our target word. However, 整理 focuses purely on creating order out of chaos. It means putting things in their proper place without necessarily discarding anything. You tidy up a messy desk by stacking papers neatly.
请把你的书桌整理好。(Please tidy up your desk.)
- 清除 (qīng chú) - To eliminate / To clear away
- This is a stronger, more forceful word. It means to completely remove an obstacle, a virus, a stain, or a threat. It lacks the 'organizing' nuance of our target word and focuses purely on deletion or destruction.
杀毒软件成功清除了电脑病毒。(The antivirus software successfully eliminated the computer virus.)
春节前我们要进行一次大扫除。(Before the Spring Festival, we will do a massive spring cleaning.)
警方正在清查仓库里的货物。(The police are taking a thorough inventory of the goods in the warehouse.)
Examples by Level
我周末要清理房间。
I want to clean my room this weekend.
Subject + Time + Verb + Object.
妈妈在清理厨房。
Mom is cleaning the kitchen.
在 indicates an ongoing action.
请清理你的书包。
Please clean out your backpack.
Imperative sentence using 请.
我们一起清理桌子吧。
Let's clear the table together.
吧 at the end suggests a proposal.
他每天都清理垃圾。
He clears the trash every day.
每天都 expresses daily routine.
我不会清理这个。
I don't know how to clean this out.
不会 means do not know how to.
你需要清理一下。
You need to clean up a bit.
一下 softens the verb.
爸爸在清理车子。
Dad is cleaning out the car.
Subject + 在 + Verb + Object.
我的手机太慢了,需要清理缓存。
My phone is too slow, I need to clear the cache.
Using the verb in a digital context.
我已经把衣柜清理干净了。
I have already cleaned out the wardrobe completely.
把 structure with resultative complement 干净.
你能帮我清理一下冰箱吗?
Can you help me clean out the fridge?
Question asking for help.
老师让我们清理教室里的废纸。
The teacher asked us to clear the waste paper in the classroom.
让 structure for causative verbs.
搬家之前,我们要清理很多旧东西。
Before moving, we have to clear out a lot of old things.
Time clause with 之前.
他花了一个小时才把桌子清理好。
It took him an hour to finish clearing the desk.
才 indicates the action took longer than expected.
请定期清理你的电脑垃圾。
Please regularly clear your computer junk.
Adverb 定期 modifying the verb.
这些杂物必须今天清理出去。
These sundries must be cleared out today.
Directional complement 出去.
为了保护环境,志愿者们正在清理海滩上的塑料垃圾。
To protect the environment, volunteers are clearing plastic waste on the beach.
Complex sentence with purpose clause (为了).
公司决定彻底清理仓库,把卖不出去的商品全部处理掉。
The company decided to thoroughly clean out the warehouse and dispose of all unsold goods.
Adverb 彻底 and serial verbs.
如果你觉得压力大,可以通过写日记来清理思路。
If you feel stressed, you can clear your thoughts by writing a diary.
Abstract usage of the verb (清理思路).
市政府发布了关于清理违章停车的新规定。
The city government issued new regulations regarding the clearing of illegal parking.
Used as a gerund/noun phrase in a formal context.
这个问题很复杂,我们需要时间把头绪清理出来。
This problem is very complex; we need time to sort out the clues/threads.
Metaphorical use with directional complement 出来.
系统会自动清理超过三十天未读的邮件。
The system will automatically clear unread emails older than thirty days.
Passive/automated action in a tech context.
经过三天的努力,河道里的淤泥终于被清理干净了。
After three days of hard work, the silt in the river channel was finally cleared out completely.
Passive voice 被 with resultative complement.
与其买新的储物柜,不如先清理一下你现有的物品。
Rather than buying a new storage cabinet, it's better to clear out your existing items first.
Comparative structure 与其...不如...
破产清算小组已经进驻该企业,开始全面清理公司资产与负债。
The bankruptcy liquidation team has entered the enterprise and begun a comprehensive clearing of the company's assets and liabilities.
Formal financial/legal usage.
这次人事变动实际上是为了清理公司内部的腐败分子。
This personnel change is actually to clear out corrupt elements within the company.
Metaphorical usage for human resources/purging.
作为数据库管理员,他的主要职责之一是定期清理冗余数据以优化性能。
As a database administrator, one of his main responsibilities is to regularly clear redundant data to optimize performance.
Technical IT vocabulary.
历史学家们致力于清理那些被篡改的史料,以还原历史真相。
Historians are dedicated to clearing up tampered historical records to restore the truth of history.
Academic context, abstract 'sorting out'.
在进行大型手术前,医生必须确保患者的肠道被彻底清理。
Before performing major surgery, the doctor must ensure the patient's intestines are thoroughly cleared.
Medical context, passive voice.
这场突如其来的暴风雪过后,市政部门花费了巨资来清理道路积雪。
After this sudden blizzard, the municipal department spent a huge amount of money to clear the snow accumulation on the roads.
Municipal management context.
他花了数年时间清理父亲留下的庞大而混乱的藏书。
He spent years sorting out the massive and chaotic collection of books left by his father.
Describing a long-term, complex organizational task.
随着环保法规的收紧,许多高污染工厂被勒令停产并进行现场清理。
With the tightening of environmental regulations, many highly polluting factories were ordered to halt production and conduct on-site cleanup.
Environmental and regulatory context.
新任市长上台后的第一把火,就是大刀阔斧地清理官僚体制内的积弊。
The first major action of the new mayor after taking office was to boldly clear out the long-standing malpractices within the bureaucratic system.
Idiomatic expression (新官上任三把火) combined with abstract administrative clearing.
该算法通过高效的垃圾回收机制,自动清理内存碎片,从而避免了内存泄漏。
This algorithm, through an efficient garbage collection mechanism, automatically clears memory fragmentation, thereby avoiding memory leaks.
Advanced computer science terminology.
在文化大革命期间,所谓的“清理阶级队伍”运动导致了无数冤假错案。
During the Cultural Revolution, the so-called 'Clearing the Class Ranks' movement led to countless unjust, false, and wrong cases.
Historical and political specific terminology.
企业在并购前必须进行尽职调查,以彻底清理目标公司的潜在法律风险。
Enterprises must conduct due diligence before mergers and acquisitions to thoroughly clear out the target company's potential legal risks.
Advanced business and legal context.
他试图通过一场长途旅行来清理内心深处沉积多年的情感创伤。
He attempted to use a long journey to clear out the emotional trauma that had accumulated deep in his heart for years.
Deeply psychological and literary usage.
这篇学术论文旨在清理学术界对于该概念长期存在的误解与混淆。
This academic paper aims to clear up the long-standing misunderstandings and confusions regarding this concept in the academic community.
Academic writing context, clearing up abstract concepts.
面对错综复杂的国际局势,外交部需要迅速清理各方利益诉求,制定应对策略。
Facing the intricate and complex international situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs needs to quickly sort out the interest demands of all parties and formulate response strategies.
Diplomatic and strategic context.
文物修复专家小心翼翼地清理着青铜器表面的有害锈蚀,同时保留了历史的包浆。
The cultural relic restoration expert carefully cleared the harmful rust on the surface of the bronze ware while preserving the historical patina.
Highly specialized professional context (archaeology/restoration).
哲学家通过严密的逻辑推演,试图清理语言学转向后形而上学所面临的认识论困境。
Through rigorous logical deduction, the philosopher attempts to clear up the epistemological dilemma faced by metaphysics after the linguistic turn.
Extremely advanced academic philosophy context.
该法案的颁布旨在从根本上清理金融衍生品市场中长期存在的监管灰色地带。
The promulgation of this bill aims to fundamentally clear out the long-standing regulatory gray areas in the financial derivatives market.
High-level legislative and financial discourse.
在梳理古代典籍时,学者们耗费毕生精力清理异文,以期还原文本的本来面目。
When collating ancient texts, scholars spend their lifelong energy clearing up variant readings in the hope of restoring the original appearance of the text.
Example
我们需要清理一下房间。