aspirar la sala
/aspiɾaɾ la sala/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'vacuum the living room' is translated into Spanish as aspirar la sala.
This phrase is used to describe the action of cleaning the living room floor using a vacuum cleaner.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb aspirar literally means to inhale or to suck in, which is the mechanical principle of a vacuum cleaner.
Which one should you use?
While aspirar la sala is a standard way to express the action, pasar la aspiradora por la sala is a common alternative way to express the action of vacuuming that literally means 'to pass the vacuum cleaner through the living room'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say 'I vacuum the living room' in the first-person singular present tense, the phrase changes from aspirar la sala to aspiro la sala.
How do you pronounce it?
/aspiɾaɾ la sala/
Did you know?
- While 'vacuuming' is a specific action, you can also use aspirar to mean 'to aspire' toward a goal or a higher status in life.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, la sala refers specifically to a formal sitting area rather than a multipurpose 'living room'.
- The word sala is a distant relative of the English word 'salon' and the German word 'Saal'.
Examples in context
- ¿Puedes aspirar la sala, por favor?Can you vacuum the living room, please?
- ¡Claro! Voy a aspirarla ahora mismo.Of course! I'll vacuum it right away.
- Por favor, realice la limpieza de la sala con la aspiradora antes de la reunión.Please perform the cleaning of the living room with the vacuum cleaner before the meeting.
- Voy a aspirar la sala ahora.I am going to vacuum the living room now.
- Necesito aspirar la sala hoy.I need to vacuum the living room today.
- Voy a aspirar la sala antes de la fiesta.I am going to vacuum the living room before the party.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are discussing their weekend cleaning chores.
- JavierElena, ¿podrías aspirar la sala?Elena, could you vacuum the living room?
- ElenaSí, lo haré ahora mismo.Yes, I will do it right now.
- JavierGracias, yo limpiaré la cocina.Thanks, I will clean the kitchen.
- ElenaPerfecto, terminaremos rápido.Perfect, we will finish quickly.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aspirar, la, sala, CC BY-SA 4.0.
