trapos
everyday
In Mexican Spanish rags are trapos, the all-purpose word for old pieces of cloth used for cleaning. For clothes in tatters people say harapos. It is also called Trapitos.
Meaning: old pieces of cloth (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| trapos | everyday |
| Harapos | torn clothes |
| Trapitos | small, affectionate |
A Mexican kitchen has un trapo for wiping the counter, and un trapo de cocina is a dish towel. The plural trapos are the rags you keep for cleaning.
Which one should you use?
Harapos is for worn and torn clothing and sounds a bit literary. Trapitos is a diminutive, and sacar los trapitos al sol means to air dirty laundry in public.
How does it change in a sentence?
Trapo is masculine: el trapo, unos trapos viejos.
Did you know?
- The expression sacar los trapitos al sol exists across Spanish, and it means to bring up someone's private problems in public.
Examples in context
- Pásame un trapo para limpiar la mesa.Hand me a rag to wipe the table.
- Guardo los trapos viejos en una caja.I keep the old rags in a box.
- Iba vestido con harapos.He was dressed in rags.
Example conversation
Rosa asks her husband Tomás for help cleaning the kitchen of their home in Monterrey.
- RosaTomás, ¿dónde dejaste los trapos?Tomás, where did you leave the rags?
- TomásEstán debajo del fregadero.They are under the sink.
- RosaGracias, ahorita limpio la mesa.Thanks, I will wipe the table now.
