A launderette is a shop full of washing machines and dryers that you use yourself, paying with coins or a card. You bring your dirty clothes, put them in, wait, and take them home clean.

A launderette一間launderette is a shop是一種店 full of washing machines and dryers裡面滿滿都是洗衣機和烘衣機 that you use yourself你要自己操作， paying with coins or a card用硬幣或卡付錢。You bring your dirty clothes你把髒衣服帶過去， put them in放進機器裡， wait等一下， and take them home clean再把洗乾淨的衣服帶回家。

Nobody washes them for you — that is the difference from a laundry or a dry cleaner's, where you hand the clothes over and come back later.

Nobody washes them for you沒有人幫你洗 —— that is the difference這就是不一樣的地方 from a laundry or a dry cleaner's跟一般洗衣店或乾洗店不同， where you hand the clothes over那裡你是把衣服交出去 and come back later之後再回來拿。

The word is British. Americans say laundromat, and that word is now understood almost everywhere, including by many British speakers. In Britain you will also see the spelling launderette and the older form laundrette; both are fine.

The word is British這個字是英式的。Americans say laundromat美國人說laundromat， and that word is now understood almost everywhere而這個字現在幾乎到處都聽得懂， including by many British speakers包括很多英國人也懂。In Britain在英國 you will also see the spelling launderette你也會看到launderette這個拼法 and the older form laundrette還有比較舊的laundrette；both are fine兩種都可以。

It is an ordinary, everyday word, slightly old-fashioned in feeling because fewer people need them now, and it often carries a whole atmosphere in British writing and film — waiting on a plastic chair, watching the machine go round, strangers not talking.

It is這是 an ordinary, everyday word一個普通、日常的字， slightly old-fashioned in feeling感覺上有點老派 because fewer people need them now因為現在需要用到的人變少了， and it often carries a whole atmosphere而且它常常帶著一整個氛圍 in British writing and film出現在英國的文學和電影裡 —— waiting on a plastic chair坐在塑膠椅上等， watching the machine go round看著機器轉呀轉， strangers not talking陌生人彼此不說話。