The Present Tense of lavar is used to describe actions happening right now or habitual actions, for example: Yo lavo los platos después de cada comida. (I wash the dishes after every meal.)

Lavar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the present tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Lavar (to wash) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Lavar generally means to wash or clean, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To wash (something): for example, Yo lavo la ropa los domingos. (I wash the clothes on Sundays.)

To clean (something): for example, Ella lava los platos después de comer. (She cleans the dishes after eating.)

To wash oneself: for example, Me lavo las manos antes de comer. (I wash my hands before eating.)

To launder money (slang): for example, Él lava dinero para la mafia. (He launders money for the mafia.)

To insult someone (rude): for example, ¡Te lavo la boca con jabón! (I’ll wash your mouth out with soap!)

Examples

Examples of Lavar in the Present Tense

Yo lavo los platos después de cada comida. (I wash the dishes after every meal.)

Ella lava su ropa los domingos. (She washes her clothes on Sundays.)

¿Tú lavas el auto con frecuencia? (Do you wash the car often?)

Nosotros lavamos las ventanas cada primavera. (We wash the windows every spring.)

Ellos lavan los platos a mano porque no tienen lavavajillas. (They wash the dishes by hand because they don’t have a dishwasher.)

Mi mamá lava la ropa a mano, como es tradición. (My mom washes clothes by hand, as is traditional.)

¿Lavas tus jeans en la lavadora o a mano? (Do you wash your jeans in the washing machine or by hand?)

Los meseros lavan las mesas después de que los clientes se van. (The waiters wash the tables after the customers leave.)

En el spa, lavan y secan las toallas con frecuencia. (At the spa, they wash and dry the towels frequently.)

Antes de viajar, lavo toda mi ropa sucia. (Before traveling, I wash all my dirty clothes.)

Los peluqueros lavan el cabello de los clientes antes de cortarlo. (Hairdressers wash clients’ hair before cutting it.)

¿Con qué frecuencia lavas las sábanas? Yo las lavo semanalmente. (How often do you wash the sheets? I wash them weekly.)

Después de la playa, lavamos la arena de nuestros pies. (After the beach, we wash the sand off our feet.)

Los niños lavan sus manos antes de comer. (The children wash their hands before eating.)

En el taller, los mecánicos lavan las piezas de los autos con desengrasante. (In the shop, the mechanics wash the car parts with degreaser.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Lavar (to wash) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.