洗衣机(xǐ yī jī) - washing machine in Mandarin

洗衣机 (xǐyījī) is the washing machine, built from three plain pieces: 洗 (xǐ) "to wash", 衣 (yī) "clothes" and 机 (jī) "machine". Put together it reads almost like an instruction manual: wash-clothes machine.

Like other appliances it takes the measure word 台 (tái): 一台洗衣机 (yì tái xǐyījī), "one washing machine". In much of China, especially in flats without a utility room, the washing machine sits on the balcony (阳台, yángtái) rather than tucked into the kitchen, which is worth knowing if a story or dialogue mentions one.

洗 (xǐ) on its own is a useful verb to notice here too: it covers washing in general, from 洗澡 (xǐzǎo), "to shower", to 洗碗 (xǐ wǎn), "to wash the dishes". 衣机 is never used alone, so do not try to shorten the compound.