skölja

Skölja is a Swedish verb meaning to rinse or wash something by pouring or applying liquid to remove dirt, debris, or residues. It is used in everyday cleaning, in cooking and food preparation (for example, to rinse vegetables), and in medical or dental contexts to rinse the mouth or a wound. The action can be performed with water or another liquid.

Conjugation: infinitive skölja; present tense sköljer; past tense sköljde; supine sköljt; past participle sköljd. The imperative is skölj; the present participle is sköljande. Negative form is "skölj inte."

Usage notes: Skölja implies removing dirt by rinsing rather than scrubbing. Spola is a related verb used for more forceful flushing or for pipes and toilets. Common compounds include sköljmedel (rinse aid), sköljning (rinse or rinsing), and munskölj (mouthwash). In recipes or cleaning instructions, skölja is typically used with direct objects, as in "skölj potatisen" or "skölj grönsakerna."

See also: spola, munskölj and other compounds formed with skölj- or spola- to describe rinsing and flushing actions. The term is widely understood across Swedish-speaking contexts and appears in both household and professional usage, including culinary, medical, and cleaning contexts.