lavar
/lah-VAR/
to wash
The most common meaning of lavar is 'to wash' something with water and soap.
lavar(Verb)
to wash
?to clean something with water and often soap
to clean
?general cleaning (often interchangeable with 'limpiar')
📝 In Action
Necesito lavar el coche antes del viaje.
A1I need to wash the car before the trip.
Ella lava la ropa todos los sábados por la mañana.
A1She washes the clothes every Saturday morning.
Estamos lavando las verduras para la cena.
A2We are washing the vegetables for dinner.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'Se' for Body Parts
When you wash yourself or a body part, you must add 'se' (or 'me,' 'te,' etc.) before the verb. This makes it a reflexive verb: 'Me lavo la cara' (I wash my face).
The Difference from 'Limpiar'
'Lavar' almost always involves water and soap (like washing a shirt). 'Limpiar' is a general term for cleaning, which might mean dusting, sweeping, or washing.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Reflexive Pronoun
Mistake: "Yo lavo la cara. (I wash the face [maybe someone else's?])"
Correction: Yo me lavo la cara. (I wash my face.) Remember to use 'me' when the action comes back to you.
⭐ Usage Tips
Common Laundry Noun
The machine you use to wash clothes is a 'lavadora' (washing machine).
Lavar can also mean 'to launder' assets or illegal funds.
lavar(Verb)
to launder
?money or illegal assets
to whitewash
?to clear or improve a damaged reputation
📝 In Action
El cártel utilizó negocios legítimos para lavar sus ganancias.
C1The cartel used legitimate businesses to launder their profits.
El director intentó lavar la imagen de la empresa después del escándalo.
C2The director tried to whitewash the company's image after the scandal.
💡 Grammar Points
Figurative Use
In this context, 'lavar' still implies making something look clean, but it refers to making illegal money look legal, or a bad reputation look good.
⭐ Usage Tips
Context is Key
If you see 'lavar dinero' (to wash money), know that it refers to the financial crime, not literally cleaning cash.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: lavar
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses the reflexive form of 'lavar' (lavarse)?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'lavar' and 'limpiar'?
'Lavar' specifically means to clean using water, often with soap or detergent (like washing clothes or dishes). 'Limpiar' is the general word for cleaning, which can include dry cleaning methods like dusting or sweeping.
How do I say 'I wash my hair' in Spanish?
You must use the reflexive form: 'Yo me lavo el pelo.' Remember the 'me' shows that you are doing the action to yourself, and you use 'el' (the) instead of 'mi' (my) for body parts.