The Subjunctive Mood of Lavar is used to express wishes, desires, or uncertainty about the action of washing. 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 (Latin American Spanish):

The present subjunctive of lavar is used to express wishes, desires, demands, or uncertainty about the action of washing.

Wish or desire: For example, Espero que laves los platos. (I hope you wash the dishes.)

Demand or request: For example, Es necesario que laves tus manos antes de comer. (It’s necessary that you wash your hands before eating.)

Uncertainty: For example, No creo que lave su ropa tan seguido. (I don’t think he washes his clothes that often.)

Idiomatic: For example, Lávate la boca antes de hablar. (Wash your mouth before speaking, meaning watch your language.)

Slang: For example, ¿Qué onda, lávate las orejas? (What’s up, clean your ears? Meaning pay attention.)

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 lave el coche este fin de semana. (I hope he washes the car this weekend.)

Aunque no quieras, es necesario que laves la ropa sucia. (Even if you don’t want to, it’s necessary that you wash the dirty clothes.)

Para que la mancha salga, el consejo es que laves la camisa con agua caliente. (For the stain to come out, the advice is that you wash the shirt with hot water.)

El médico recomienda que lavemos la herida con agua y jabón. (The doctor recommends that we wash the wound with soap and water.)

Es una lástima que no laven los platos después de comer. (It’s a shame that they don’t wash the dishes after eating.)

Preferiría que laves tus zapatos antes de entrar a la casa. (I’d prefer that you wash your shoes before entering the house.)

Tal vez sea mejor que lave el auto él mismo. (Maybe it’s better that he washes the car himself.)

La regla es que todos lavemos nuestros propios platos. (The rule is that we all wash our own dishes.)

Insisto en que laven las verduras antes de cocinarlas. (I insist that they wash the vegetables before cooking them.)

¿Sería mucho pedir que laves la ropa de cama esta semana? (Would it be too much to ask that you wash the bedding this week?)

Dudo que lave el baño a fondo. (I doubt that he will thoroughly clean the bathroom.)

Es fundamental que lavemos bien las frutas y verduras. (It’s essential that we wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.)

Quizás convenga que laven los trastes después de cada comida. (Perhaps it would be advisable that they wash the dishes after each meal.)

Me temo que no lave su ropa con frecuencia. (I’m afraid he doesn’t wash his clothes frequently.)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.