blanquea

Blanquea is the third-person singular present indicative form of the Spanish verb blanquear. Blanquear means to whiten, to bleach, or to lighten color, and can be used in literal, practical contexts as well as figurative ones. In everyday language it appears in sentences such as blanquea la ropa (she or he bleaches the clothes), blanquean las paredes (they whiten the walls), or blanquea verduras briefly in boiling water during cooking.

The sense of blanquear covers a range of applications: whitening fabrics, whitening teeth through dental procedures (blanqueamiento dental), blanching vegetables in cooking, and lightening surfaces or colors in construction or art. Figuratively, blanquear puede referirse a “whitewashing” a una política, historia o reputación, or to conceal flaws or past actions. In finance, the expression blanqueo de dinero describes money laundering, the process of making illicit funds appear legitimate; although the term is used in journalism and policy discussions, it is not a recommended or legal activity.

Etymology and form: blanquea derives from la raíz blanca/blanco (white) with the verb suffix -ear, forming a regular verb. Related forms include blanqueo (noun, the act of whitening or money laundering), blanqueador (agent that whitens), and the participle blanqueado. Grammatical notes: as a regular -ear verb, its conjugation follows the standard pattern (yo blanqueo, tú blanqueas, él/blanquea, nosotros blanqueamos, vosotros blanqueáis, ellos blanquean).

See also: blanquear, blanqueo.