lavavajillas
/ˌlababaˈxiʝas/feminine, masculine
The Spanish word for dishwasher is lavavajillas. Wiktionary also lists lavaplatos and lavavajilla.
Meaning: machine (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| lavavajillas | /ˌlababaˈxiʝas/ | feminine, masculine |
| lavaplatos | /ˌlabaˈplatos/ | feminine, masculine |
| lavavajilla | /ˌlababaˈxiʝa/ | feminine, masculine |
| friegaplatos | /ˌfɾjeɡaˈplatos/ | masculine |
The terms used to refer to the machine that washes dishes include lavavajillas, lavaplatos, lavavajilla and friegaplatos.
What does it mean word for word?
lavavajillas is a compound word consisting of the verb lavar (to wash) and the noun vajillas (dishes or crockery).
Which one should you use?
While lavavajillas and lavaplatos both mean dishwasher, lavavajillas is more common in Spain, whereas lavaplatos is frequently used in parts of Latin America.
Is it said differently in some regions?
lavavajillas is the more common term in Spain, while lavaplatos is frequently used in various parts of Latin America.
How does it change in a sentence?
lavavajillas is an invariable noun, which means its form stays the same whether you are talking about one dishwasher or multiple dishwashers.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌlababaˈxiʝas/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the term lavaplatos can refer to both the machine and the person hired to wash the dishes.
- The term lavavajillas may be a calque, which is a loan translation, of the French phrase lave-vaisselle.
- If you use the term friegaplatos, you are technically calling the machine a 'plate-scrubber' because it comes from the verb fregar, which implies more vigorous scrubbing than simply washing.
Examples in context
- En la cocina falta un lavavajillas.The kitchen lacks a dishwasher.This sentence is useful for noting that a kitchen is missing a lavavajillas.Tatoeba #1317412 by Shishir, translation #681320 by Source_VOA
- ¿Puedes arreglar nuestro lavaplatos?Can you fix our dishwasher?This sentence is useful for asking someone to fix a lavaplatos.Tatoeba #1386344 by marcelostockle, translation #10614456 by sangelo
- ¿Podría explicarnos cómo funciona el lavavajillas?Could you explain how the dishwasher works?This sentence is useful for asking for an explanation on how to use a lavavajillas.Tatoeba #3047 by Shishir, translation #330613 by doswans
- El lavavajillas está funcionando perfectamente.The dishwasher is working perfectly.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are cleaning up after dinner.
- JavierLucía, ¿está lleno el lavavajillas?Lucía, is the dishwasher full?
- LucíaNo, todavía tiene espacio.No, it still has space.
- JavierPerfecto, pondré estos platos en el lavavajillas.Perfect, I'll put these plates in the dishwasher.
- LucíaGracias, Javier. Yo limpio la mesa.Thanks, Javier. I'll clean the table.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dishwasher” translations and entries lavavajillas, lavaplatos, lavavajilla, friegaplatos, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries friegaplatos, lavaplatos, lavavajilla, lavavajillas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
