Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| candeggina | /kan.dedˈd͡ʒi.na/ | feminine |
| varechina | feminine | |
| decolorante | masculine | |
| sbiancante | masculine |
In Italian, several words are used for bleach depending on whether you are referring to household cleaning products, industrial agents or whitening products.
Which one should you use?
candeggina is the standard term for household liquid bleach used for cleaning or whitening clothes. decolorante refers more broadly to any substance or agent that removes color, such as hair bleach or industrial bleaching agents. sbiancante is used to describe a product specifically designed for the purpose of whitening, often seen on product labels. varechina is another feminine form of the word.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
candeggina and varechina are feminine nouns, while decolorante and sbiancante are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /kan.dedˈdʒi.na/. The stress is on the third of the four syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use imbiancare to mean bleaching a fabric. This verb actually means to paint a wall or surface white.
Did you know?
- The common word candeggina actually started its life as a commercial brand name rather than a generic term.
- In Italy, the phrase fare l'imbianchino refers to the profession of a house painter, using the same root as the word for whitening a surface.
Examples in context
- Prova a usare la candeggina.Try using bleach.This sentence is useful for suggesting the use of candeggina.Tatoeba #10151852 by Guybrush88, translation #10123771 by ddnktr
- Layla si lavò le mani con la candeggina.Layla washed her hands with bleach.This sentence is useful for describing an action involving candeggina.Tatoeba #6308424 by Guybrush88, translation #6097177 by OsoHombre
- Non mescoli assieme ammoniaca e candeggina.Don't mix ammonia and bleach together.This sentence is useful for a warning about mixing substances with candeggina.Tatoeba #6308427 by Guybrush88, translation #4012462 by CK
- Mi serve un po' di candeggina per disinfettare il pavimento.I need some bleach to disinfect the floor.
- Usa lo sbiancante per rimuovere quelle macchie dalla maglietta.Use the bleach to remove those stains from the T-shirt.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Martina are cleaning the bathroom.
- FrancescoHai comprato la candeggina?Did you buy the bleach?
- MartinaSì, l'ho presa al supermercato.Yes, I got it at the supermarket.
- FrancescoOttimo, usiamo la candeggina per le piastrelle.Great, let's use the bleach for the tiles.
- MartinaVa bene, ma mettiti i guanti.Okay, but put on your gloves.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bleach” translations and entries candeggina, varechina, decolorante, sbiancante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries candeggina, varechina, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
