entries → 洗
TSUMUGU · TOCFL 1 (est.) · 字
洗 character · TOCFL 1 (est.)
洗 ＝ 氵 ＋ 先
ㄒㄧˇ · xǐ
verb — to wash, rinse

字源 FORM — what the parts do

氵義water
先聲xiān — gives the sound"first, ahead"; here only the sound
IFTxiān → xǐ — the same 先 in 跣 xiǎn, 銑 xiǎn
Water (氵) plus 先. 說文: 洒足也 — to rinse the feet, the first wash on coming in. 先 lends the sound, worn from xiān to xǐ; it also marks 跣、銑 at xiǎn. From rinsing the feet, every washing: 洗手、洗衣，洗腦.

故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by

進門前（先），先用水（氵）把腳沖一沖。
At the door, first (先) thing — water (氵) over the feet, rinsing the road off.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)洗腳、洗手— to wash (feet, hands)常用
→洗衣、清洗— to wash; to launder常用
⇒洗腦、洗相片— to brainwash; to develop (film) — to wash clean and reset
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension
關 · Related
先xiānthe bare phonetic — 洗 adds 氵 for the washing洒sǎa near-twin washing-word, 氵 with 西 for the same act