{"id":137609,"date":"2023-12-28T12:21:39","date_gmt":"2023-12-28T17:21:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/chores-in-spanish\/"},"modified":"2025-02-23T04:37:42","modified_gmt":"2025-02-23T09:37:42","slug":"chores-in-spanish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/chores-in-spanish\/","title":{"rendered":"30 Words and Phrases to Discuss Chores in Spanish"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nobody enjoys chores, but we all have to do them\u2014and sometimes talk about them.\u00a0In fact, learning to talk about chores in Spanish is one of those things that will take you out of “basic survival” and into real communication.<\/p>\n

If you get invited to a Spanish speaker’s house<\/a>, for instance, imagine how great it’ll feel when you can offer to help your host wash the dishes.\u00a0Read on to learn how to talk about chores in Spanish.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Vocabulary for Chores in Spanish<\/h2>\n

There are a few basic ways to say “chores” in Spanish:<\/p>\n

los quehaceres <\/em><\/strong>(chores)<\/p>\n

las tareas dom\u00e9sticas <\/strong><\/em>(chores, or housework)<\/p>\n

And here are some Spanish phrases for the most common household chores:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Spanish<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
cocinar <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to cook<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
poner la mesa <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to set the table<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
lavar los platos <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to wash the dishes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
vaciar el lavavajillas <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to empty the dishwasher<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
sacar la basura <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to take out the trash<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
barrer el piso <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to sweep the floor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
fregar el piso <\/a>\n \/ trapear el piso <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to mop the floor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
pasar la aspiradora <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to vacuum<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
limpiar el polvo <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to dust<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
arreglar la casa <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to tidy the house<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
limpiar <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to clean <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ordenar <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to organize<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
lavar la ropa <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to wash the clothes\/do the laundry<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
planchar la ropa <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to iron the clothes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
cambiar las s\u00e1banas <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to change the bedsheets<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
limpiar las ventanas <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to wash\/clean the windows<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
regar las plantas <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to water the plants<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
cortar el c\u00e9sped <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to mow the lawn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
lavar el coche <\/a>\n \/ lavar el auto <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to wash the car<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Spanish Chore Phrases with Irregular Verbs<\/h2>\n

There are also many chore phrases that use of common Spanish verbs such as hacer\u00a0<\/em>(to do\/to make), dar\u00a0<\/em>(to give) and ir\u00a0<\/em>(to go).<\/p>\n

All three of these verbs are irregular<\/a>, so you’ll want to take some extra time to learn their conjugations.<\/p>\n

Here are a few phrases that use these three common irregular verbs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Spanish<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
hacer la colada <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> (Spain)<\/td>to do the laundry<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
hacer la cama <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to make the bed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
hacer la cena <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to make dinner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
hacer la compra <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to do the shopping<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ir de compras <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to go shopping<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ir al banco <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to go to the bank<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
dar de comer a las mascotas <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to feed the pets<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
dar un ba\u00f1o a las mascotas <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/td>to give the pets a bath<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Using Chore Phrases in a Sentence<\/h2>\n

So, what do these chore phrases look like in a sentence?<\/p>\n

They’ll change slightly depending on how you use them. You’ll have to conjugate your verbs<\/a> in one of a few different ways.<\/p>\n

Questions<\/h3>\n

To ask someone if they did a chore in the past,<\/strong> use the preterite form<\/a> of the verb.<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

\u00bfCortaste<\/strong> el c\u00e9sped?<\/em>
\n(Did you mow the lawn?)<\/p>\n

To ask someone if they will do a chore in the future,<\/strong> conjugate the verb in the simple future tense<\/a>, like so:<\/p>\n

\u00bfSacar\u00e1s<\/strong> la basura?<\/em>
\n(Will you take out the trash?)<\/p>\n

You can also use the verb poder<\/em> (can\/be able to) plus the infinitive to ask if someone will do a chore:<\/p>\n

\u00bfPuedes cambiar<\/strong> las s\u00e1banas?<\/em>
\n(Can you change the bedsheets?)<\/p>\n

And of course, you can be polite with your request by adding “please” to your question:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00bfPuedes limpiar la cocina, por favor<\/strong>?<\/em>
\n(Can you clean the kitchen, please?)<\/p>\n

The Present Tense<\/h3>\n

Use the simple present tense<\/a> to talk about doing a chore on a regular basis.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

Yo paso la aspiradora<\/strong> todos los d\u00edas.
\n<\/em>(I vacuum every day.)<\/p>\n

Yo siempre lavo la ropa<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(I always do the laundry.)<\/p>\n

To talk about what someone else is doing, use the appropriate present tense ending:<\/p>\n

Nosotros sacamos<\/strong> la basura.
\n<\/em>(We take out the trash.)<\/p>\n

Mi amigo siempre plancha la ropa<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(My friend always irons his clothes.)<\/p>\n

On the other hand, to talk about a chore that you’re in the process of doing,<\/strong>\u00a0use the present progressive tense<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Yo estoy sacando<\/strong> la basura ahora.
\n<\/em>(I’m taking out the trash now.)<\/p>\n

Ellos todav\u00eda est\u00e1n arreglando<\/strong> la casa.
\n<\/em>(They are still tidying the house.)<\/p>\n

The Imperative<\/h3>\n

Use verbs in the imperative form<\/a> to tell someone else to do something.<\/p>\n

This is very useful when talking about household chores,<\/strong> especially if you don’t feel like doing them!<\/p>\n

\u00a1Saca<\/strong> la basura!
\n<\/em>(Take out the trash!)<\/p>\n

\u00a1Lava<\/strong> los platos!
\n<\/em>(Wash the dishes!)<\/p>\n

Remember, you can use the imperative while still being polite.<\/strong> It’s all about tone and minding your manners:<\/p>\n

Mam\u00e1, por favor, cocina<\/strong> para nosotros.
\n<\/em>(Mom, please cook for us.)<\/p>\n

The Infinitive<\/h3>\n

Verbs are used in their infinitive form<\/a> when they’re used with another verb.<\/p>\n

You can use the infinitive to talk about likes and dislikes, <\/strong>for example:<\/p>\n

Me gusta<\/strong> arreglar la casa.
\n<\/em>(I like to tidy the house.)<\/p>\n

No me gusta<\/strong> limpiar las ventanas.
\n<\/em>(I don’t like to wash the windows.)<\/p>\n

Le gusta<\/strong> barrer el piso.
\n<\/em>(He likes to sweep the floor.)<\/p>\n

You can also use it to talk about future tasks:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pedro va a dar<\/strong> de comer a las mascotas.
\n<\/em>(Pedro is going to feed the pets.)<\/p>\n

Yo voy a poner<\/strong> la mesa.
\n<\/em>(I am going to set the table.)<\/p>\n

Yo voy a limpiar<\/strong> el polvo.
\n<\/em>(I am going to dust.)<\/p>\n

Tips for Learning and Practicing Chores in Spanish<\/h2>\n

Because chores are a big part of daily life, you’ll have many opportunities to use these vocabulary words. And the more you use them, the better you’ll remember them.<\/p>\n

Try one or more of the following ways to practice.<\/p>\n

Use Chore Words Around the House<\/h3>\n

This is a great method for those learning Spanish independently<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Label common household items<\/strong> to help you remember what they are. Put one on the vacuum cleaner, the door of the oven, the dish soap on the kitchen counter… Anywhere!<\/p>\n

Insert chore phrases into conversation<\/strong> whenever possible. (“Don’t worry, Mom! I’m going to hacer la cama<\/em> right now.”)<\/p>\n

As a bonus, your family members or roommates may end up learning a few Spanish chore phrases with you!<\/p>\n

Play a Game<\/h3>\n

Do you like to draw? Do you have friends who also want to practice their Spanish?<\/p>\n

Play a game of Pictionary! <\/strong>It’s a great way to review\u2014having fun will help the words stick.<\/p>\n

For Pictionary, create a stack of index cards with the Spanish chore words written on them. Divide into teams.<\/p>\n

Take turns picking a card and drawing a picture of the phrase on a whiteboard. (Remember: No words!) The drawer’s team member(s) will try to guess the correct phrase. Correct guesses get a point.<\/p>\n

If you don’t like drawing, try a game of Charades<\/strong> instead. Team members must act out the chore instead of drawing it. (No verbal clues!)<\/p>\n

Use Online Study Sites<\/h3>\n

Websites and apps give you access to Spanish vocabulary practice right on your favorite device. Get started with:<\/p>\n