Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| lejía | /leˈxia/ | feminine |
| lavandina | /labanˈdina/ | feminine |
| blanqueador | /blankeaˈdoɾ/ | masculine |
| cloro | /ˈkloɾo/ | masculine |
In Spanish, several words are used to refer to the chemical substance known as bleach, depending on whether you are referring to the liquid itself or a product designed for whitening.
Which one should you use?
While lejía refers to the liquid chemical itself, blanqueador is often used to describe products specifically marketed for their whitening properties, such as laundry bleach. Additionally, cloro is frequently used to refer to liquid bleach in certain contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Southern Cone, specifically in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, the term lavandina is commonly used. In Mexico and several other parts of Central America, people often refer to liquid bleach as cloro.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
lejía is a feminine noun and must be used with feminine articles like la or las. Conversely, blanqueador is a masculine noun and requires masculine articles such as el or los.
How do you pronounce it?
/leˈxia/
Did you know?
- The word lavandina began as a commercial brand name before it became the generic term for bleach in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
- In some contexts, the word cloro is used as a shorthand for the scent of a swimming pool, regardless of whether bleach is actually present.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, cloro refers specifically to the liquid household product, even though in chemistry it refers to the element chlorine.
Examples in context
- Ten cuidado con la lejía.Careful with the bleach.This sentence is useful for giving a warning about lejía.Tatoeba #7739316 by arh, translation #9662903 by DJ_Saidez
- Es mejor no usar lejía si no la necesitas.It's better not to use bleach if you don't need it.This sentence is useful for advising against the use of lejía.Tatoeba #10122995 by manufrutos, translation #10122032 by CK
- Usé demasiada lejía e hice un agujero en mi camisa.I used too much bleach and made a hole in my shirt.This sentence is useful for describing the consequence of using too much lejía.Tatoeba #2399390 by Shishir, translation #2399380 by orcrist
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are cleaning the house together.
- MateoLucía, ¿dónde está la lejía?Lucía, where is the bleach?
- LucíaEstá debajo del fregadero, Mateo.It is under the sink, Mateo.
- MateoGracias, voy a limpiar el suelo ahora.Thanks, I am going to clean the floor now.
- LucíaTen cuidado de no derramar la lejía.Be careful not to spill the bleach.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bleach” translations and entries lejía, lavandina, blanqueador, cloro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries blanqueador, cloro, lavandina, lejía, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
