¿Limpio o sucio?
Clean or dirty?
They replay footage of a disputed collision, and the call comes down to two opposite words: limpio or sucio.
From Dr. House · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "clean" in Spanish
limpio
adjectivefeminine: limpiaverb: limpiar
"Clean" in Spanish is limpio, or limpia when the noun is feminine: una casa limpia. The verb, to clean, is limpiar: Tengo que limpiar. For something that has just been cleaned, use estar: La cocina está limpia.
Hear "limpio" and "limpiar" in real movie scenes
Masculine, feminine, then the verb. Each video starts and stops on that line.
¿Eso es ropa limpia?
Is that clean laundry?
A bag of clothes is going in the door, but it's laundry on its way to be washed, and ropa is feminine, so the adjective ends in -a.
From Cabo de miedo · Spanish audio
Es que tengo que limpiar.
It's just that I have to clean.
A classic office excuse for getting away, and after tengo que the verb limpiar keeps its basic form.
From The Office · Spanish audio
Limpio, limpia, limpiar: the forms you need
One root gives you the adjective, the verb and the noun.
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| limpio | clean (masculine) | un vaso limpio (a clean glass) |
| limpia | clean (feminine) | la ropa limpia (clean clothes) |
| limpiar | to clean | Tengo que limpiar. (I have to clean.) |
| limpio | I clean | Limpio la cocina. (I clean the kitchen.) |
| limpia | clean! (to a friend) | Limpia la habitación. (Clean the room.) |
| la limpieza | cleaning | productos de limpieza (cleaning products) |
Tip: Limpio and limpia do double duty. Besides the adjective, they're also forms of limpiar, so Limpio la cocina means I clean the kitchen.
Grammar: limpio and limpiar
The adjective first, then the verb.
Four endings
limpio, limpia, limpios, limpias. Match the noun: la casa limpia, los vasos limpios.Estar for right now
Está limpia describes how something is after a wash. Es limpia describes a place or person that's clean by habit: Es una ciudad limpia.Limpiar is regular
limpio, limpias, limpia, limpiamos, limpiáis, limpian. The ia in limpiar is one syllable: leem-PYAR.After tengo que and voy a
The verb stays as limpiar after tengo que, voy a or hay que: Voy a limpiar la habitación.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
La casa limpia es muy bonita.
The clean house is very pretty.
Es una ciudad bastante limpia.
It's a fairly clean city.
Voy a limpiar el cuarto de enfrente.
I'm going to clean the room across the hall.
Limpia la habitación.
Clean the room.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗la ropa limpio
✓la ropa limpia
Ropa is feminine, so the adjective takes -a.
✗La habitación es limpia. (after you've cleaned it)
✓La habitación está limpia.
The room is in a clean state now, and states take estar.
✗Limpio mi cara.
✓Me limpio la cara.
For your own body, Spanish adds me and uses la instead of mi.
Real conversation: a neighbor at your new house
A short dialog with your neighbor. Tap to listen.
Your neighbor Gabriela comes over to your new house for the first time and looks around with curiosity.
¡Hola! ¿Es tu casa nueva?
Hi! Is this your new house?
Sí, pequeña y limpia.
Yes, small and clean.
¿Y no es un poco estrecha?
And isn't it a bit cramped?
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last 2 lines.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
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The other 33 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Limpio starts like limp. After you clean the whole house, you're as limp as the wet rag in your hand.
Questions about "clean" in Spanish
How do you say clean in Spanish?
The adjective is limpio, or limpia for feminine nouns: una casa limpia. The verb to clean is limpiar.
How do you say "I have to clean" in Spanish?
Tengo que limpiar. To name the place, put it after the verb: Tengo que limpiar la cocina.
Is it está limpio or es limpio?
Say está limpio for something that's clean at this moment. Es limpio fits a person or a place that's always kept clean.
How do you say "clean your room" in Spanish?
Limpia tu habitación, or limpia tu cuarto. To someone you call usted, say limpie su habitación.
