detergente para ropa
/deteɾxente paɾa ɾopa/from spelling rules
The English phrase "laundry detergent" is translated into Spanish as detergente para ropa.
The term refers to a chemical cleaning agent used specifically for washing clothes.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of detergente (detergent) and the prepositional phrase para ropa (for clothes).
Which one should you use?
You may also see the alternative detergente de ropa, which uses de instead of para. Colloquially, many people in Spanish-speaking households refer to the product as jabón para la ropa (soap for clothes).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and Central America, the phrase jabón en polvo (powdered soap) is commonly used for laundry detergent.
How do you pronounce it?
/deteɾxente paɾa ɾopa/
Did you know?
- The word ropa originally referred to 'stolen goods' or 'plunder' in its Germanic roots before it came to mean 'clothing' in Spanish.
- In Spain, you might hear estirar la ropa when talking about laundry, which means to hang clothes out to dry, not to stretch the fabric.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the traditional jabón de barra (bar soap) is still used by hand to scrub collars and cuffs before the detergente is used in a machine.
Examples in context
- Hola, puedo comprar detergente para la ropa aquí?Hello, can I buy laundry detergent here?
- Necesito comprar jabón para lavar la ropa. ¿Dónde puedo encontrarlo?I need to buy laundry detergent. Where can I find it?
- Se nos acabó el detergente, necesitamos comprar más.We ran out of laundry detergent, we need to buy more.
- ¿Me puedes pasar el jabón para lavar la ropa?Can you pass me the laundry detergent?
- Voy a comprar jabón líquido para ropa, ¿alguien tiene alguna preferencia?I'll buy laundry detergent, does anyone have a preference?
- Necesito comprar detergente para ropa.I need to buy laundry detergent.
- ¿Dónde está el detergente para ropa?Where is the laundry detergent?
- Este detergente para ropa es muy bueno.This laundry detergent is very good.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are shopping for household items at the supermarket.
- LucíaAlejandro, ¿tenemos detergente para ropa?Alejandro, do we have laundry detergent?
- AlejandroNo, creo que se terminó ayer.No, I think it ran out yesterday.
- LucíaVoy a buscar el detergente para ropa ahora.I'm going to look for the laundry detergent now.
- AlejandroEstá en el pasillo cuatro, Lucía.It's in aisle four, Lucía.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
