洗手间 / 浴室 / 卫生间 / 厕所 (toilet) (2025)

gao_yixing said:

Hi
I think the answer given is not totally right.
浴室 and 洗澡间(informal name) both mean shower room(bathroom is ok if it doesn't mean a room with a toilet)

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I think it is the problem of British and American English. I think when I_like_my_TV uses bathroom, he/she is using the British meaning. 'a room in which there is a bath' (Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary).

Also, are 盥洗室 and 洗澡間 common in Mainland China? You won't find them in HK.

Lugubert said:

Is there a stylistic difference between 厕所 and 卫生间? Can they always be used interchangingly?

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There are no difference between the 2. But you can't use them interchangingly in spoken form because linguistic habits are very different in different countries.

For example, if you say, "Excuse me, where is the 卫生间?" in Singapore, you will get a "Huh? What?" in reply. And if you try to further explain, the other party will be enlightened and say, "Oh you mean 厕所..."

You wouldn't have this problem in written form though.

In Taiwan, there's still more ways to refer to this area (like in English: bathroom, restroom, powder room, etc.), but they're usually only written not spoken: 化粧室 and 盥洗室。Most people here wouldn't say 衛生間, but mainlanders do. So how does one differentiate among the wealth of toilet terms?

廁所：toilet. The most common term.
洗手間：hand-wash room. Also common on signs, and spoken as well.
衛生間：sanitary/sanitation room. Explained above.
盥洗室：washroom, lavatory. Formal, usually not spoken.
化妝室：ladies' room, powder room. Again, I read this more than I hear it.
浴室： for bathing.

If you want to say "I want to go to the toilet/bathroom", then simply say 我要去廁所 or 我去上廁所。

Cheers!

Hi, I know it's an old post. Hope you don't mind if I revive it.

My Chinese teacher from Beijing told me that 厕所 seams to be a little bit rude. The English equivalent would be "loo".

capuyk said:

Anyway, how can I just say "Can I go to the toilet"

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If you are in a hotel, bar, or another pubblic place, and you don't know where the toilet is, I'd say: 请问, 卫生间在哪儿? or 请问, 这里有洗手间吗?

请问, 卫生间在哪儿?
请问, 这里有洗手间吗?

Both are fine. And in my opinion, so's the term 厕所.

Some people perceive 厕所 to be a little uncouth, but it's definitely not rude or considered a taboo. The use of "请问" would already characterise you as being polite.

Thanks for the explanation, brofeelgood!
However, the original poster asked how to say "Can I go to the toilet?", that sound like a permission asked to a superior: for example "pupil to his teacher". I think in this specific case my previous two sentences don't fit, because who ask the question already know where the toilet is, so I'd say "我可以去厕所吗?"

Finally, there's a way to say "I have to go to the toilet" that is "我要方便一下". Is this phrase considered uncouth or rude?

Can I go to the toilet?
“我可以去厕所吗?" is definitely okay, but I personally prefer this: 我可以上个厕所吗？

In the place I live, "我要方便一下" is very uncommon.
Instead, we say 我要上个厕所。

Thime said:

Thanks for the explanation, brofeelgood!
However, the original poster asked how to say "Can I go to the toilet?", that sound like a permission asked to a superior: for example "pupil to his teacher". I think in this specific case my previous two sentences don't fit, because who ask the question already know where the toilet is, so I'd say "我可以去厕所吗?"

Finally, there's a way to say "I have to go to the toilet" that is "我要方便一下". Is this phrase considered uncouth or rude?

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There are many ways for a student to ask, but what comes to my mind instinctively is "老师,我想上个厕所". I know it's more a statement than a solicitation for permission, but that's how I would say it. I'm sure the others have their own preferences.

"I have to go to the toilet" = 我得上个厕所. Of course, in accordance with etiquette, it's good manners, just like in English, to prefix the statement with some niceties like "Excuse me...", e.g. 不好意思,我得去一下洗手间.

I am a Chinese, I think except 浴室, the other three words you listed are the same. 厕所，洗手间，卫生间and盥洗室, they all refer to the same thing. I know that in Taiwan, 化妆室 also refers to toilet, it is the same in some places in mainland China which only refers to female's. They can all appear in spoken Chinese, while I use 厕所and卫生间more often. So do not try to differentiate as few difference can be found.

If you want to say "can I go to the toilet?"
-我能去一下卫生间/厕所/洗手间吗？
-不好意思，我要方便一下。（recommended)
-抱歉，我内急/我得上个厕所/我得去一下卫生间/我要上厕所。
-我要去救火。（humorous, but not everyone would understand. You'd better be a male. Only acceptable in close friends. Refer to urination only)
-我要开闸放水。（same as the previous.)
-人有三急，你懂的。(rather colloquial)
-Sometimes, if the listener(s) is(are) different from you in gender, there is one rather interesting way to say it, "我要去你不能去的地方。"

Thime said:

If you are in a hotel, bar, or another pubblic place, and you don't know where the toilet is, I'd say: 请问, 卫生间在哪儿? or 请问, 这里有洗手间吗?

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In Macao or Hong Kong, we don't like someone say"卫生间", it sounds like the toilet is dirty (That's truth). You can say "洗手间" or "厕所".
for example,
"请问, 洗手间(厕所) 在哪?" is fine and everyone know what you mean.
Don't add the word "儿" in your speaking in Macao or Hong Kong, it is correct but Someone would look down on you (If you don't know why, inbox me).
Don't forget to say "thank you" to him or her, otherwise, they also look down on you..... = = That's also truth.

I think 厕所 is the most common phrase in relation to toilets. Everyone accepts it and don't think it impolite or uncouth.

In some areas you may hear the phrase “茅厕 （máosi or máoce 轻声）” or “茅房” to refer to the toilets used in rural areas. 茅坑 refers to a latrine (a hole as a toilet) but is rarely used now, except in the expression: 占着茅坑不拉屎.