Difference between to clean and to disinfect in Korean
청소하다·소독하다
청소하다to clean
"To clean" means to make a place or thing neat and not dirty. In Korean, 청소하다 is used for cleaning rooms, houses, classrooms, and other spaces. You can use it in daily situations like cleaning your room, the kitchen, or a school classroom.
How to say to clean
소독하다to disinfect
소독하다 means to clean a thing, area, or body part so germs are killed. People use it for hands, wounds, desks, toys, and many other everyday items. You will often hear it in places like homes, schools, hospitals, and shops.
How to say to disinfectThe difference
소독하다 means to kill germs, often with alcohol or disinfectant. A place can be clean after 청소하다, but 소독하다 focuses on hygiene, not general tidying.
