How to Say "to sweep" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to sweep” is “barrer” — use this word when referring to the physical action of cleaning a floor or surface with a broom..
barrer
/bah-REHR//baˈreɾ/
Examples
Necesito barrer el suelo de la cocina porque hay migas.
I need to sweep the kitchen floor because there are crumbs.
Mi abuela siempre barre la entrada de su casa por la mañana.
My grandmother always sweeps her house entrance in the morning.
Si barres bien el garaje, te ayudaré a pintar después.
If you sweep the garage well, I will help you paint later.
A perfectly regular verb
Barrer follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -er. If you know how to conjugate 'comer' (to eat), you can conjugate 'barrer'!
Using 'a' with things
Unlike people, you don't need a special connecting word when sweeping objects. Just say 'barrer el suelo' (sweep the floor).
Don't confuse with 'borrar'
Mistake: “Voy a borrar la cocina.”
Correction: Voy a barrer la cocina. 'Borrar' means 'to erase' (like a whiteboard or a mistake), while 'barrer' is for floors!
arrasar
/ah-rah-SAR//araˈsaɾ/
Examples
Su nueva película está arrasando en los cines.
Her new movie is killing it in theaters.
Esa cantante siempre arrasa en las entregas de premios.
That singer always sweeps at the award ceremonies.
¡Vas a arrasar en tu entrevista de hoy!
You are going to knock it out of the park in your interview today!
Intransitive Success
When used to mean 'success,' you often don't need an object. You can just say 'Él arrasa' (He's killing it) or specify where with 'en' (e.g., arrasar en el trabajo).
Don't use with 'bien'
Mistake: “Él arrasa bien.”
Correction: Él está arrasando. You don't need 'bien' because arrasar already implies the highest level of success.
Literal vs. Figurative Meaning
Related Translations
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