housekeeping
housekeeping — 名詞
1. the work of keeping a home clean, tidy, and properly organised — including tasks
家務管理
管理家庭清潔與日常事務的工作
the work of keeping a home clean, tidy, and properly organised — including tasks like cleaning, shopping for supplies, and managing daily household routines.
After moving into her own flat, Dylan quickly discovered that housekeeping took up most of his weekend mornings.
搬到自己的公寓後，Dylan 很快就發現打理家務佔去了他大部分的週末早晨。
common collocation: do/handle the housekeeping
Sofie and her flatmates created a shared housekeeping schedule so that no one person ended up doing all the cleaning.
Sofie 和她的室友們一起訂了一份家務輪值表，這樣就不會只有一個人負責所有的清潔工作。
collocation: housekeeping schedule / housekeeping duties
Femi's strict housekeeping routine meant the kitchen was always wiped down and the bins emptied before bedtime.
Femi 嚴謹的家務習慣確保廚房總是在睡前擦拭乾淨，垃圾桶也清空了。
Élise hired a cleaner twice a month to help with the heavy housekeeping tasks like scrubbing the floors.
Élise 每個月請人來打掃兩次，幫忙處理拖地刷地之類的粗重家務。
- housework
focuses on physical chores like cleaning and washing, less on the management aspect
- homemaking
broader term that also includes creating a comfortable atmosphere, not just chores
- domestic work
formal term that can include childcare and cooking alongside cleaning
常見錯誤
2. the team within a hotel, hospital, or other large institution responsible for cl
房務部
旅館或醫院等機構負責清潔的部門
the team within a hotel, hospital, or other large institution responsible for cleaning rooms, changing bed linen, and maintaining general tidiness.
When Samir found no fresh towels in his room, he called the front desk and asked for housekeeping.
Samir 發現旅館房間裡沒有乾淨的毛巾，就打給櫃檯請他們派人到房務部。
typical pattern: call/ring housekeeping to request something
Caleb works on housekeeping at the City Grand; his shift runs from seven in the morning until three.
Caleb 在市立大飯店的房務團隊工作，他的班次從早上七點到下午三點。
The hospital's housekeeping staff wear blue uniforms and clean every ward twice a day to prevent infections.
這家醫院的房務人員穿著藍色制服，每天兩次清潔每間病房以防止感染。
Eitan left a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door so housekeeping would not enter during his video call.
Eitan 在門上掛了一張「請勿打擾」的牌子，這樣視訊通話期間房務人員就不會進他的房間。
- cleaning staff
more general term for the people who clean, not the department as a whole
- room service
refers to food delivery in hotels, not cleaning — a common confusion for learners
用法筆記
In hotel contexts, 'housekeeping' often refers to the department rather than the action itself — you call housekeeping, not call a cleaner.
3. the money that a family keeps aside each week or month for buying food, cleaning
家用錢
用於購買家庭日常用品的預算
the money that a family keeps aside each week or month for buying food, cleaning supplies, and other everyday essentials at home.
Yuna sets aside two hundred pounds from her salary each month for housekeeping expenses such as groceries and toiletries.
Yuna 每個月從薪水中撥出兩百英鎊作為購買食材和日用品等家用開銷。
collocation: housekeeping money / housekeeping expenses
After Apinya's father lost his job, the family had to cut their weekly housekeeping budget by a third.
Apinya 的父親失業後，家裡不得不將每週的家用預算削減三分之一。
Asher's grandmother used to keep the housekeeping cash in a small wooden box on the kitchen shelf.
Asher 的祖母以前都會把家用現金放在廚房架子上的小木盒裡。
Ishaan's mother gave him the weekly housekeeping cash and asked him to buy milk, bread, and soap.
Ishaan 的媽媽把這週的家用現金交給他，請他去買牛奶、麵包和肥皂。
- household expenses
broader term that includes bills and rent, not just food and supplies
- grocery money
more specific — limited to food shopping only
用法筆記
This sense is chiefly British English. In American English, 'household expenses' or 'grocery money' is more common for the same idea.
常見錯誤
4. the regular, often unexciting tasks that are necessary to keep a business, proje
例行雜務
維持組織或系統運作的日常必要工作
the regular, often unexciting tasks that are necessary to keep a business, project, or computer system working properly, even though they fall outside the central purpose.
Before starting the new project, Caio finished some IT housekeeping like clearing old files and updating passwords.
在設計團隊能夠開始新專案之前，Caio 必須先完成一些 IT 例行雜務，例如清除舊檔案和更新密碼。
metaphorical use: IT housekeeping / administrative housekeeping
The new manager spent her first week doing organizational housekeeping — sorting out staff records and clearing out old paperwork.
新任主管花了第一週處理組織內的例行雜務——整理員工檔案和清除過期的文書資料。
Regular software housekeeping, such as deleting unused programs and installing security updates, helps keep a computer running smoothly.
定期進行軟體例行維護，例如刪除不再使用的程式和安裝安全更新，有助於電腦順暢運作。
Mert and Mizuki spent Friday afternoon on database housekeeping, removing duplicate records and fixing broken links.
Mert 和 Mizuki 花了星期五下午做資料庫例行整理，刪除重複的紀錄並修復損壞的連結。
- maintenance
more formal and broader, includes repairs and checks, not just cleaning up
- routine tasks
neutral term without the metaphor of cleaning
- spring cleaning
metaphor for a thorough one-time clean-up, not regular upkeep
用法筆記
This sense is metaphorical, extending the idea of cleaning a home to cleaning up a system. It often appears in compounds: 'IT housekeeping', 'administrative housekeeping', 'financial housekeeping'.