lavemos

Lavemos is a form of the Spanish verb lavar, meaning to wash. It appears in two related grammatical contexts: as the present subjunctive first-person plural (nosotros) of lavar, and as the inclusive nosotros imperative, used to express a suggestion or command to a group including the speaker. In everyday use, lavemos is most commonly encountered in the sense “let us wash” or “we should wash.”

Morphology and origin: lavar is a regular -ar verb. In the present subjunctive, the nosotros form ends in -emos, yielding lavemos. This form is identical to the inclusive imperative construction for nosotros, which functions as a command or suggestion directed at a group that includes the speaker. The verb derives from Latin lavare, through the Spanish root lava-.

Usage: Lavemos is employed in subordinate clauses that require the subjunctive, such as expressions of necessity, desire, doubt, or possibility, for example: “Es importante que lavemos las manos.” It is also used on its own to issue a collective instruction: “Lavemos las manos antes de comer.” The form is everyday in written and spoken Spanish, especially in formal or didactic contexts, hygiene guidance, and collaborative activities.

Examples:

- Es necesario que lavemos las manos antes de cocinar.

- Lavemos las ventanas mañana para que entre más luz.

- ¿Lavemos la ropa si hay tiempo?

See also: lavar, present subjunctive, nosotros commands, imperative mood, Spanish verb conjugation.