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fluentbyear

JAPANESE VERB

せんたく する

洗濯 する

to do the laundry

  • #121 most used
  • する verb

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI do the laundry
NegativeI don’t do the laundry

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI did the laundry
NegativeI didn’t do the laundry

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formdoing the laundry, and…
Doing now (て います)I am doing the laundry
Please (て ください)please do the laundry

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can do the laundry
NegativeI can’t do the laundry

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to do the laundry
NegativeI don’t want to do the laundry

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s do the laundry

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I do the laundry
  2. If, when (たら) if I do the laundry

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) do the laundry (do it)
  2. Plain command do the laundry!
  3. Please don’t please don’t do the laundry

Passive and causative

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am done the laundry
CausativeI make someone do the laundry

How to use せんたく する

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present and future

    にちようび は せんたく しません。

    I don't do laundry on Sundays.

  2. Past

    けさ シーツ を ぜんぶ せんたく した。

    This morning I washed all the sheets.

  3. Te-form

    いま せんたく して いる から、 ちょっと まって。

    I'm doing the laundry right now, so wait a sec.

  4. Potential

    この セーター は いえ で せんたく できます か。

    Can this sweater be washed at home?

  5. Want to

    はれて いる うち に せんたく したい。

    I want to do the laundry while it's sunny.

  6. Volitional

    あした は あさ はやく せんたく しよう。

    Let's do the laundry early tomorrow morning.

  7. Conditional

    きょう せんたく すれば、 あした には かわく。

    If I wash it today, it'll be dry by tomorrow.

  8. Commands and requests

    じぶん の ふく は じぶん で せんたく しなさい。

    Wash your own clothes yourself.

  9. Passive and causative

    はは は わたし に まいしゅう せんたく させました。

    My mother made me do the laundry every week.

Good to know

  • せんたくもの is the laundry itself, what you wash and hang out.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: する verb.