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cepillar

seh-pee-yahrθepiˈʝaɾ

to brush

Also: to scrub
VerbA1regular ar
A colorful toothbrush with blue bristles and a smear of white toothpaste resting on a clean surface.
gerundcepillando
past Participlecepillado
infinitivecepillar

📝 In Action

Debes cepillar al perro todos los días.

A1

You must brush the dog every day.

Él está cepillando su traje para la fiesta.

A2

He is brushing his suit for the party.

Es necesario cepillar los dientes después de comer.

A1

It is necessary to brush your teeth after eating.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • asear (to clean/groom)
  • limpiar (to clean)

Antonyms

  • ensuciar (to dirty)
  • despeinar (to mess up hair)

Common Collocations

  • cepillar los dientes – to brush teeth
  • cepillar el cabello – to brush hair

to plane

VerbB2regular ar
A wooden plank being smoothed by a hand plane tool, with small wood shavings curling up.
gerundcepillando
past Participlecepillado
infinitivecepillar

📝 In Action

El carpintero necesita cepillar la tabla para que quede lisa.

B2

The carpenter needs to plane the board so it stays smooth.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • alisar (to smooth)
  • pulir (to polish/sand)

Common Collocations

  • cepillar madera – to plane wood

to clean out

Also: to fire/get rid of
VerbC1regular arinformal
Mexico
An empty open wallet lying on a table next to a large pile of gold coins belonging to a winner.
gerundcepillando
past Participlecepillado
infinitivecepillar

📝 In Action

En el póquer, Juan me cepilló cincuenta euros.

C1

In poker, Juan cleaned me out of fifty euros.

El entrenador se cepilló a tres jugadores antes del torneo.

C2

The coach got rid of three players before the tournament.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yocepillara
túcepillaras
él/ella/ustedcepillara
nosotroscepilláramos
vosotroscepillarais
ellos/ellas/ustedescepillaran

Present Subjunctive

yocepille
túcepilles
él/ella/ustedcepille
nosotroscepillemos
vosotroscepilléis
ellos/ellas/ustedescepillen

Indicative

Preterite

yocepillé
túcepillaste
él/ella/ustedcepilló
nosotroscepillamos
vosotroscepillasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedescepillaron

Imperfect

yocepillaba
túcepillabas
él/ella/ustedcepillaba
nosotroscepillábamos
vosotroscepillabais
ellos/ellas/ustedescepillaban

Present

yocepillo
túcepillas
él/ella/ustedcepilla
nosotroscepillamos
vosotroscepilláis
ellos/ellas/ustedescepillan
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "cepillar" in Spanish:

to brush→to plane→to scrub→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cepillar

Question 1 of 3

How do you say 'I brush my teeth' correctly?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
cepillo(brush (the object)) — Noun
cepillado(the act of brushing) — Noun
cepilladora(planing machine) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From 'cepillo', which is a smaller version of 'cepo' (a block of wood or branch), coming from the Latin 'cippus'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: escovar (related to brush) or cepilhar (to plane)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'cepillar' a regular verb?

Yes, it follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar in all tenses.

When should I use 'peinar' instead of 'cepillar'?

Use 'peinar' if you are using a comb (peine). Use 'cepillar' if you are using a brush (cepillo).

Can 'cepillar' be used for cleaning the floor?

Usually, we use 'barrer' (to sweep) for floors. Use 'cepillar' if you are specifically scrubbing a spot with a handheld brush.