Inklingo

limpia

leem-pyahˈlimpja

ritual cleanse, spiritual cleansingAlso: clean sweep

NounfB2
Mexico & Central America
A person gently waving a bundle of smoking white sage over another person's head and shoulders during a spiritual cleansing ritual.

📝 In Action

La curandera le hizo una limpia para quitarle el mal de ojo.

B2

The healer performed a ritual cleanse on him to remove the evil eye.

Necesito una limpia en mi casa para que fluya la energía.

B1

I need a spiritual cleansing in my house so the energy can flow.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • purificación (purification)
  • curación (healing)

Common Collocations

  • hacer una limpiato perform a ritual cleanse

cleans, tidies upAlso: clean!

VerbA1regular ar
A hand holding a sponge, actively wiping a streak across a shiny, bright blue surface, making it sparkle.
infinitivelimpiar
gerundlimpiando
past Participlelimpiado

📝 In Action

Mi hermano siempre limpia su cuarto antes de salir.

A1

My brother always cleans his room before going out.

¡Limpia tu plato! No lo dejes ahí.

A2

Clean your plate! Don't leave it there.

La máquina limpia el suelo automáticamente.

A1

The machine cleans the floor automatically.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • limpia biencleans well
  • limpia la mesacleans the table

clean, spotlessAlso: clear

A small stack of perfectly neat, brightly white, folded laundry towels sitting on a wooden surface.

📝 In Action

La mesa está limpia, puedes poner los platos.

A1

The table is clean, you can put the plates down.

Ella tiene una reputación limpia en la comunidad.

B1

She has a clean reputation in the community.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • aseada (tidy)

Antonyms

Indicative

Present

yolimpio
limpias
él/ella/ustedlimpia
nosotroslimpiamos
vosotroslimpiáis
ellos/ellas/ustedeslimpian

Imperfect

yolimpiaba
limpiabas
él/ella/ustedlimpiaba
nosotroslimpiábamos
vosotroslimpiabais
ellos/ellas/ustedeslimpiaban

Preterite

yolimpié
limpiaste
él/ella/ustedlimpió
nosotroslimpiamos
vosotroslimpiasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedeslimpiaron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yolimpie
limpies
él/ella/ustedlimpie
nosotroslimpiemos
vosotroslimpiéis
ellos/ellas/ustedeslimpien

Imperfect Subjunctive

yolimpiara/limpiase
limpiaras/limpiases
él/ella/ustedlimpiara/limpiase
nosotroslimpiáramos/limpiásemos
vosotroslimpiarais/limpiaseis
ellos/ellas/ustedeslimpiaran/limpiasen

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "limpia" in Spanish:

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: limpia

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'limpia' as a noun (a ritual) rather than a verb or adjective?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
pipaestiba
📚 Etymology

Comes from the Latin word *limpidus*, meaning 'clear' or 'transparent.' Over time, the meaning evolved from being clear like water to being free of dirt.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: limpaItalian: limpido

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Frequently Asked Questions

How is 'limpia' different from 'limpieza'?

'Limpieza' is the standard, general noun for 'cleaning' or 'cleanliness' (e.g., the act of scrubbing). 'Limpia' is the verb form (he/she cleans) or, when used as a noun, usually refers specifically to a spiritual or folkloric cleansing ritual.

Is 'limpia' the same as the English word 'limpid'?

They share the same Latin root *limpidus*, meaning clear or transparent. While 'limpid' in English still means clear (usually referring to water or style), the Spanish word 'limpia' evolved to mean clean or free of dirt.