cucian

Cucian is an Indonesian term that refers to laundry in its broad sense: the clothes or textiles that need washing, the act of washing clothes, and the resulting laundry items. In daily use, cucian can denote the load of clothes to be cleaned, the clothes after they have been washed, or the process of washing and handling laundry from washing to drying.

Etymology and related terms: Cucian is formed from the verb cuci, meaning to wash, with the nominalizing suffix -an. This creates a word that covers the collection of items involved in washing as well as the activity itself. Related words include mencuci (to wash) and cucian pakaian (laundry clothes).

Usage and context: In households, cucian often refers to the laundry load, such as when someone says they have a lot of cucian to wash or that they have already finished washing the cucian. Common practical steps associated with cucian include sorting by color, washing, rinsing, wringing, and drying, either by hand or with a washing machine. In urban settings, services labeled jasa cucian or cucian kiloan provide professional laundry by weight or per item, offering washing, drying, and folding.

Cultural notes: Laundry is a routine domestic task across Indonesian-speaking communities and can vary from traditional hand-washing practices to modern machine-based routines. The term cucian also appears in idiomatic expressions and everyday speech to discuss cleanliness, hygiene, and the management of household chores.

See also: laundry, washing, Indonesian language, jasa cucian, cucian kiloan.