lau
[law˧˧]
The English verb 'clean' can be translated into Vietnamese as lau or làm sạch.
Meaning: (transitive) to remove dirt from a place or object (verb)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| lau | [law˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [law˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
| làm sạch |
When you want to express the action of removing dirt from a place or object, you can use these terms. The word lau specifically refers to cleaning by wiping or mopping a surface, while làm sạch is a more general term for the process of making something clean.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase làm sạch is a combination of the verb làm (to do/make) and the adjective sạch (clean), literally meaning 'to make clean'.
Which one should you use?
While làm sạch is a general term, lau is used specifically for wiping or mopping. You may also see the reduplicated form lau chùi, which is used to describe the repetitive action of scrubbing or wiping something to clean it.
Related words
Did you know?
- The Nôm character for lau was mistakenly unified with a general 'top form' radical in the Unicode standard until 2021.
Examples in context
- Luis sẽ làm sạch chiếc lò vi sóng.Luis is going to clean the microwave.This sentence shows the use of làm sạch to describe cleaning a microwave.Tatoeba #13841620 by vexvine, translation #12115702 by Amastan
- Mary nhờ Tom giúp cô làm sạch văn phòng của cô ấy.Mary asked Tom to help her clean her office.This sentence shows the use of làm sạch in the context of cleaning an office.Tatoeba #6546675 by duythanh, translation #6417306 by CF
- Phòng của bạn rất sạch sẽ.Your room is very clean.
- Quần áo sau khi giặt luôn được giữ sạch sẽ.Clothes are always kept clean after washing.
- Khách sạn này luôn sạch sẽ và gọn gàng.This hotel is always clean and tidy.
- Bàn làm việc của anh ấy luôn sạch sẽ và gọn gàng.His desk is clean and tidy at all times.
- Khu vực này có không khí trong lành.This area has clean air.
- Cô ấy vệ sinh nhà cửa đến mức sạch bong.She cleans the house until it's squeaky clean.
- Người ta rất hài lòng với kết quả sạch bong của dịch vụ giặt là này.People are very satisfied with the squeaky clean results of this laundry service.
- Tôi cần lau cái bàn này.I need to wipe this table.
Example conversation
Minh and Chi are preparing the living room for guests.
- MinhChi ơi, em lau cái kệ sách giúp anh nhé.Chi, please wipe the bookshelf for me.
- ChiDạ, để em lau nó ngay đây.Okay, I will wipe it right now.
- MinhCảm ơn em, sau đó anh sẽ lau cửa sổ.Thank you, after that I will wipe the windows.
- ChiAnh làm nhanh thôi nhé.Please do it quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “clean” translations and entries lau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lau, làm, sạch, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
