Washing things and yourself in Spanish

The idea

Lavar takes the thing or person being washed; lavarse uses a reflexive pronoun when the subject washes themself.

Examples

• Lavo el coche los sábados.I wash the car on Saturdays.
• Me lavo antes de desayunar.I wash myself before breakfast.
• Ana lava la ropa de su hijo.Ana washes her son’s clothes.
• Nos lavamos las manos antes de cocinar.We wash our hands before cooking.
• El niño lava al perro en el jardín.The boy washes the dog in the garden.
• Después del partido, ellas se lavan.After the match, they wash themselves.

Watch out

Do not omit the pronoun in me lavo when you mean that you wash yourself. Body parts also use it: me lavo las manos.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the form that fits. Marta limpia la bicicleta con agua. Marta ___ la bicicleta. (lava / se lava)

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   lava

   lava: Marta cleans the bicycle, a separate object.

2. Choose the form that fits. Yo limpio mi propio cuerpo. Yo ___ antes de salir. (lavo / me lavo)

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   me lavo

   me lavo: the speaker washes their own body.

3. Choose the form that fits. Pedro limpia sus propias manos. Pedro ___ las manos. (lava / se lava)

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   se lava

   se lava: Pedro washes his own hands.

Use it today

Describe washing an object and washing your hands.