lavar

Lavar is a Spanish verb in its infinitive form meaning to wash or to cleanse with water. It describes actions such as washing clothes, dishes, hands, cars, or surfaces, as well as cleansing people or objects. The verb can also appear in figurative uses, for example in money laundering (lavar dinero).

Lavar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugation follows the standard pattern for this group. Present indicative forms are: lavo, lavas, lava, lavamos, laváis, lavan. Preterite (simple past): lavé, lavaste, lavó, lavamos, lavasteis, lavaron. Imperfect: lavaba, lavabas, lavaba, lavábamos, lavabais, lavaban. Future: lavaré, lavarás, lavará, lavaremos, lavaréis, lavarán. The imperative forms are: lava (tú), lave (usted), lavad (vosotros), laven (ustedes). The reflexive form, lavarse, means to wash oneself: me lavo, te lavas, se lava, nos lavamos, os laváis, se lavan.

Usage notes: lavar is used for literal washing as well as in idiomatic expressions. Common phrases include lavar la ropa (to wash the clothes), lavar los platos (to wash the dishes), lavar la cara (to wash one’s face), and lavar el coche (to wash the car). The noun lavado can refer to the act or result of washing, while lavadero can denote a washbasin or a place for washing clothes. In finance, lavar dinero refers to money laundering.

Etymology: lavar derives from Latin lavāre and has cognates in other Romance languages, such as French laver and Portuguese lavar. The English word lavatory shares a related Latin root via lavatorium.