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SPANISH VERB

lavar

to wash

  • #204 most used
  • Regular -ar verb
  • Gerund: lavando
  • Past participle: lavado

Conjugation

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

Present

Presente · now, habits and facts

  1. yo I wash
  2. tú you wash
  3. usted, él, ella he/she washes
  4. nosotros we wash
  5. vosotros Spain you all wash
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they wash

Past

Pretérito indefinido · finished actions

  1. yo I washed
  2. tú you washed
  3. usted, él, ella he/she washed
  4. nosotros we washed
  5. vosotros Spain you all washed
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they washed

Imperfect

Pretérito imperfecto · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. yo I used to wash
  2. tú you used to wash
  3. usted, él, ella he/she used to wash
  4. nosotros we used to wash
  5. vosotros Spain you all used to wash
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they used to wash

Future

Futuro · plans and promises; in speech, “voy a hablar” is just as common

  1. yo I will wash
  2. tú you will wash
  3. usted, él, ella he/she will wash
  4. nosotros we will wash
  5. vosotros Spain you all will wash
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they will wash

Conditional

Condicional · “would”

  1. yo I would wash
  2. tú you would wash
  3. usted, él, ella he/she would wash
  4. nosotros we would wash
  5. vosotros Spain you all would wash
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they would wash

Present subjunctive

Presente de subjuntivo · wishes, doubts, “que …”

  1. yo (that) I wash
  2. tú (that) you wash
  3. usted, él, ella (that) he/she wash
  4. nosotros (that) we wash
  5. vosotros Spain (that) you all wash
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas (that) they wash

Past subjunctive

Imperfecto de subjuntivo · “if I were”, “si …”

  1. yo (if) I washed
  2. tú (if) you washed
  3. usted, él, ella (if) he/she washed
  4. nosotros (if) we washed
  5. vosotros Spain (if) you all washed
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas (if) they washed

Imperative

Imperativo · requests and orders; a negative one uses the subjunctive (no hables)

  1. tú wash!
  2. usted wash! (formal)
  3. nosotros wash! (let’s)
  4. vosotros Spain wash! (all of you)
  5. ustedes wash! (all of you)

How to use lavar

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

  1. Present

    Mi mamá lava la ropa los sábados.

    My mom washes the clothes on Saturdays.

  2. Past

    ¿Ya lavaste las manzanas para la ensalada?

    Did you already wash the apples for the salad?

  3. Imperfect

    Antes lavábamos los trastes a mano.

    We used to wash the dishes by hand.

  4. Future

    Después de comer lavaré el coche.

    After lunch I'll wash the car.

  5. Conditional

    Yo lavaría esa chamarra con agua fría.

    I'd wash that jacket in cold water.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Necesito que laves las sábanas hoy.

    I need you to wash the sheets today.

  7. Past subjunctive

    Si lavaras el piso, la cocina olería mejor.

    If you washed the floor, the kitchen would smell better.

  8. Imperative

    ¡Lávense las manos antes de cenar!

    Wash your hands before dinner!

Where you hear lavar

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Spanish · Beginner Level 2

  • Aquí lavamos la ropa el sábado. Here we wash the clothes on Saturday.
  • Ayer lavé los platos. Yesterday I washed the plates.
  • Voy a lavar mi ropa. I'm going to wash my clothes.

Spanish · Intermediate Level 1

  • Yo lavo los platos y tú los secas. I wash the dishes and you dry them.
  • Anoche lavé los platos de toda la familia. Last night I washed the whole family's dishes.
  • Mañana voy a lavar mi uniforme. Tomorrow I'm going to wash my uniform.
5
Is My Laundry Ready?

Beginner Level 2 · lavar · lavamos · lavaste · los voy a lavar

Needs a subscription 9
First, Cut the Onion

Beginner Level 2 · lava

Needs a subscription 3
The Rules

Intermediate Level 1 · que lave los platos

Needs a subscription 18
It Gives Me Goose Bumps

Advanced Level 1 · lavando la ropa

Needs a subscription 20
A Widow From Seville

Advanced Level 1 · lavar los trastes

Needs a subscription

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular -ar verb.