The Subjunctive Mood of Lavar is used to express wishes, desires, or situations of uncertainty or subjectivity, for example: Espero que laves los platos. (I hope you wash the dishes.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Lavar (to wash) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Castilian Spanish):

Lavar generally means “to wash”, but has several different meanings in the Subjunctive Mood, some of which might surprise you.

To wash (literally): For example, Que lave la ropa sucia (That he washes the dirty clothes).

To cleanse or purify: For example, Que lave sus pecados (That he cleanses his sins).

To clear one’s name: For example, Que lave su honor (That he clears his honor).

To whitewash or cover up (colloquial): For example, Que lave el escándalo (That he covers up the scandal).

To swindle or cheat (slang): For example, Que me lave la cartera (That he swindles me out of my wallet, literally “washes my wallet”).

Examples

Examples of Lavar in the Subjunctive Mood

Es importante que laves las manos antes de comer. (It’s important that you wash your hands before eating.)

Ojalá que lavemos los platos juntos después de la cena. (I hope we wash the dishes together after dinner.)

Aunque no te guste, es necesario que laves tu ropa sucia. (Even if you don’t like it, it’s necessary that you wash your dirty clothes.)

Para que el auto quede limpio, sugiero que laven también las llantas. (For the car to be clean, I suggest that you also wash the tires.)

El instructor insiste en que lavemos el equipo de buceo después de cada uso. (The instructor insists that we wash the diving equipment after each use.)

Mamá pide que laves tu cuarto antes de salir con tus amigos. (Mom asks that you clean your room before going out with your friends.)

Es una buena idea que lavéis las verduras antes de cocinarlas. (It’s a good idea that you wash the vegetables before cooking them.)

El chef recomienda que laven los utensilios de cocina con agua caliente. (The chef recommends that you wash the cooking utensils with hot water.)

Aunque no te guste, es mejor que laves tu carro regularmente. (Even if you don’t like it, it’s better that you wash your car regularly.)

Para prevenir enfermedades, es crucial que lavemos nuestras manos con frecuencia. (To prevent illnesses, it’s crucial that we wash our hands frequently.)

Antes de teñirte el cabello, el estilista sugiere que laves tu pelo con champú suave. (Before dyeing your hair, the stylist suggests that you wash your hair with a mild shampoo.)

Aunque sea una molestia, es importante que lavéis los trastes después de cada comida. (Even though it’s a hassle, it’s important that you wash the dishes after each meal.)

Para mantener la higiene en la cocina, el chef insiste en que laven las superficies de trabajo. (To maintain hygiene in the kitchen, the chef insists that you wash the work surfaces.)

Después de jugar en el parque, tus padres quieren que laves tus manos y cara. (After playing at the park, your parents want you to wash your hands and face.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Lavar (to wash) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

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

Synonyms

The Subjunctive mood is also known as the Simple Subjunctive, Subjunctive Present, or Present Subjunctive Mood in English, and as Presente de Subjuntivo, Subjuntivo Presente, Presente del Modo Subjuntivo, or Tiempo Presente del Subjuntivo in Spanish.