lávate

Lávate is the second-person singular affirmative imperative form of the reflexive verb lavarse, meaning “wash yourself.” It is used to tell someone to wash their body or parts of it, such as hands or face, and the pronoun te attaches to the end of the verb: lávate.

Etymology and form: lavarse comes from lavar (to wash) plus the reflexive suffix -se. In imperatives, the pronunciation and spelling reflect Spanish stress rules, hence the accent in lávate to indicate the correct emphasis on the first syllable.

Conjugation overview (imperatives):

- Tú: lávate (affirmative), no te laves (negative)

- Usted: lávese

- Ustedes: lávense

- Nosotros: lavémonos

- Vosotros: laváos (affirmative), no os lavéis (negative)

Usage notes: Lávate is commonly followed by a direct object indicating what to wash, for example, Lávate las manos, Lávate la cara, or Lávate los dientes. In contexts involving health or hygiene campaigns, the phrase is widely used to instruct individuals to maintain cleanliness. In Spanish, reflexive imperatives differ across regional varieties, with vosotros forms used primarily in Spain and ustedes forms used in Latin America.

Examples:

- Lávate las manos antes de comer.

- Lávate la cara con agua tibia.

See also: lavarse (to wash oneself) and related reflexive imperatives for other persons and moods.