lavavajillas
/ˌlababaˈxiʝas/
In Spanish, dish soap is called lavavajillas.
You may also encounter the phrase detergente para platos to refer to dish detergent.
Which one should you use?
The phrase detergente para platos is a common alternative used to refer to dish soap.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word lavavajillas is invariable in gender and number, meaning it stays the same whether you are talking about one type of soap or multiple types.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌlababaˈxiʝas/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word lavavajillas refers to both the liquid soap you use by hand and the automatic dishwasher machine.
- The term lavavajillas is believed to be a calque, a word-for-word translation, of the French term lave-vaisselle.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the word jabón is used for dish soap, whereas in others it refers only to soap used for the body.
Examples in context
- Necesito comprar lavavajillas en el supermercado.I need to buy dish soap at the supermarket.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are cleaning the kitchen together.
- JavierSofía, no queda lavavajillas.Sofía, there is no dish soap left.
- SofíaLo siento, Javier. No lo vi.I'm sorry, Javier. I didn't see it.
- Javier¿Podemos comprar lavavajillas ahora?Can we buy dish soap now?
- SofíaSí, vamos a la tienda.Yes, let's go to the store.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry lavavajillas, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lavavajillas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
