清理

qīnglǐ

verb HSK 5 #2,118

Meanings

To clear and put in order - to tidy up and sort through.

HSK 2

周末我要清理房间。

Zhōumò wǒ yào qīnglǐ fángjiān.

I need to tidy up my room this weekend.

HSK 5

政府正在清理违法建筑。

Zhèngfǔ zhèngzài qīnglǐ wéifǎ jiànzhù.

The government is clearing out illegal buildings.

HSK 7-9

请定期清理手机内存。

Qǐng dìngqī qīnglǐ shǒujī nèicún.

Please regularly clear your phone's storage.

usage

清理 implies sorting through and disposing, not just wiping surfaces. For surface cleaning, use 打扫 (dǎsǎo) or 清洁 (qīngjié).

清 qīng

理 lǐ