Chores in Spanish — Essential Vocabulary for Household Tasks
Contents
Key takeaways
- The most common word for chores in Spanish is los quehaceres or los quehaceres del hogar — used across Latin America and Spain.
- You can also use las tareas domésticas or las labores del hogar — all three are widely understood.
- Essential chore verbs include limpiar (to clean), barrer (to sweep), fregar (to scrub/mop), and pasar la aspiradora (to vacuum).
- The verb tocarle is essential for discussing whose turn it is: Me toca limpiar — It's my turn to clean.
- Key phrases include "¿A quién le toca?" (Whose turn is it?) and "Hay que..." (Something needs to be done).
You're living with a Spanish-speaking flatmate and you need to talk about who cleans the bathroom this week. Or you're hosting a family dinner and want to ask someone to set the table. Or your Spanish tutor asks about your daily routine and you realize you don't know how to say "vacuum" or "do laundry."
Household chores vocabulary is some of the most practical everyday Spanish you can learn. These words come up in family conversations, flatmate discussions, and any domestic setting. They connect directly to daily life in a way that makes them stick.
This guide covers the key words for chores, essential verbs, room-by-room vocabulary, phrases for dividing tasks, and the cultural context around household responsibilities in Spanish-speaking homes.
How to say "chores" in Spanish
There are several ways to express "chores" in Spanish, each with slightly different nuances.
- Los quehaceres — the most colloquial and widely used term
- Los quehaceres del hogar — household chores (more specific)
- Los quehaceres domésticos — domestic chores (slightly more formal)
- Las tareas domésticas — domestic tasks/chores
- Las labores del hogar — household duties (formal)
- El trabajo de la casa — the housework (informal)
Language note: Los quehaceres is almost always used in the plural. The singular el quehacer exists but is rare in everyday speech. If someone asks "¿Hiciste los quehaceres?" they mean "Did you do the chores?" — this is the most natural everyday phrasing.
Essential chore verbs
These are the action words you'll use most when talking about household tasks. Each pairs naturally with specific chore vocabulary.
Spanish |
English |
Example |
|---|---|---|
limpiar |
to clean |
Necesito limpiar el baño hoy. — I need to clean the bathroom today. |
barrer |
to sweep |
¿Puedes barrer la cocina? — Can you sweep the kitchen? |
fregar / trapear |
to mop/scrub (Spain / Latin America) |
Voy a fregar el suelo después de barrer. — I'm going to mop the floor after sweeping. |
pasar la aspiradora |
to vacuum |
Hay que pasar la aspiradora en el salón. — The living room needs vacuuming. |
lavar los platos / fregar los platos |
to wash the dishes |
Me toca lavar los platos esta noche. — It's my turn to wash the dishes tonight. |
hacer la cama |
to make the bed |
Haz la cama antes de salir. — Make the bed before leaving. |
lavar la ropa / hacer la colada |
to do laundry (Latin America / Spain) |
¿Ya lavaste la ropa? — Did you do the laundry already? |
planchar |
to iron |
Odio planchar, pero es necesario. — I hate ironing, but it's necessary. |
tender la ropa |
to hang laundry to dry |
Tendí la ropa en el balcón. — I hung the laundry on the balcony. |
cocinar / preparar la comida |
to cook / to prepare food |
Hoy me toca cocinar. — Today it's my turn to cook. |
poner / quitar la mesa |
to set / clear the table |
¿Puedes poner la mesa? — Can you set the table? |
sacar la basura |
to take out the trash |
No olvides sacar la basura esta noche. — Don't forget to take out the trash tonight. |
ordenar / recoger |
to tidy up / to pick up |
Recoge tu cuarto antes de la cena. — Tidy up your room before dinner. |
hacer las compras / ir al supermercado |
to do the shopping |
¿Quién hace las compras esta semana? — Who does the shopping this week? |
Regional note: Fregar el suelo (to mop the floor) is the common term in Spain, while trapear is more widely used in Latin America. Similarly, hacer la colada is used in Spain for doing laundry, while lavar la ropa is more common everywhere else.
Room-by-room chore vocabulary
Kitchen chores — la cocina
Spanish |
English |
|---|---|
lavar los platos |
to wash the dishes |
vaciar el lavavajillas |
to empty the dishwasher |
limpiar los fogones / la vitrocerámica |
to clean the stovetop |
limpiar el microondas |
to clean the microwave |
limpiar la nevera / el refrigerador |
to clean the fridge |
tirar los restos de comida |
to throw away food leftovers |
limpiar la encimera |
to wipe the counters |
Bathroom chores — el baño
Spanish |
English |
|---|---|
limpiar el baño |
to clean the bathroom |
fregar el inodoro / limpiar el retrete |
to clean the toilet |
limpiar el lavabo |
to clean the sink |
limpiar la ducha / la bañera |
to clean the shower / bathtub |
cambiar las toallas |
to change the towels |
reponer el papel higiénico |
to replace the toilet paper |
Bedroom and living room chores
Spanish |
English |
|---|---|
hacer la cama |
to make the bed |
cambiar las sábanas |
to change the sheets |
ordenar / recoger el cuarto |
to tidy up the room |
quitar el polvo |
to dust |
pasar la aspiradora |
to vacuum |
limpiar las ventanas |
to clean the windows |
regar las plantas |
to water the plants |
Outdoor and general chores
Spanish |
English |
|---|---|
sacar la basura |
to take out the trash |
reciclar |
to recycle |
barrer la entrada / el porche |
to sweep the entrance / porch |
cortar el césped |
to mow the lawn |
hacer las compras |
to do the grocery shopping |
pasear al perro |
to walk the dog |
Phrases for discussing and dividing chores
These phrases are essential for real household conversations — whether you're living with family, flatmates, or a partner.
Asking whose turn it is:
- ¿A quién le toca hoy? — Whose turn is it today?
- ¿A quién le toca lavar los platos? — Whose turn is it to wash the dishes?
- ¿Quién hizo la cama? — Who made the bed?
Saying whose turn it is:
- Me toca limpiar el baño. — It's my turn to clean the bathroom.
- A ti te toca sacar la basura. — It's your turn to take out the trash.
- Hoy me encargo yo de cocinar. — Today I'll take care of cooking.
Dividing tasks:
- Repartamos las tareas. — Let's divide the chores.
- Hagamos una lista de tareas. — Let's make a chore list.
- Tú barre y yo friego. — You sweep and I'll mop.
- ¿Podemos turnarnos cada semana? — Can we take turns each week?
Asking for help:
- ¿Me ayudas a ordenar? — Can you help me tidy up?
- ¿Puedes pasar la aspiradora? — Can you vacuum?
- ¿Puedes encargarte de la compra esta semana? — Can you take care of the shopping this week?
Grammar tip: The verb tocarle is essential for chore discussions. It means "to be one's turn" and works like gustar: me toca (it's my turn), te toca (it's your turn), le toca (it's his/her turn). You'll use this constantly in real household conversations.
Describing how often you do chores
Adding frequency words to chore vocabulary helps you describe your routine naturally.
- todos los días — every day
- a diario — daily
- una vez a la semana — once a week
- los fines de semana — on weekends
- cada dos semanas — every two weeks
- una vez al mes — once a month
- de vez en cuando — from time to time
Example sentences:
- Barro el suelo todos los días. — I sweep the floor every day.
- Cambio las sábanas una vez a la semana. — I change the sheets once a week.
- Limpiamos a fondo la casa los sábados. — We do a deep clean of the house on Saturdays.
- Hago la compra dos veces por semana. — I do the shopping twice a week.
Useful household objects and tools
Spanish |
English |
|---|---|
la aspiradora |
vacuum cleaner |
la escoba |
broom |
el recogedor |
dustpan |
el trapeador / la fregona |
mop (Latin America / Spain) |
el cubo / el balde |
bucket (Spain / Latin America) |
el trapo / el paño |
cloth / rag |
el detergente |
detergent |
el lavavajillas |
dishwasher |
la lavadora |
washing machine |
la secadora |
dryer |
la plancha |
iron |
la tabla de planchar |
ironing board |
el cubo de basura |
trash can / rubbish bin |
los guantes de limpieza |
cleaning gloves |
Chores and cultural context in Spanish-speaking homes
Understanding how households are organized in Spanish-speaking cultures helps you use this vocabulary appropriately and connect more deeply with native speakers.
Extended family dynamics:
In many Spanish-speaking households, extended family members (grandparents, aunts, uncles) often live together or nearby and contribute to household tasks. Chore conversations may involve more people and different expectations than in smaller household units.
Weekend cleaning culture:
In many Spanish and Latin American homes, Saturday morning is traditionally dedicated to a thorough cleaning of the house — la limpieza del sábado. This is often a family affair with different members taking on specific tasks.
Cultural note: The phrase "limpiar a fondo" (to deep clean) appears often in household conversations. A deep clean is different from daily tidying — it implies scrubbing, organizing, and cleaning areas not touched during the regular routine.
How to practice Spanish chores vocabulary
- Label chores in Spanish: Write your weekly chore list in Spanish. Instead of "vacuum living room," write pasar la aspiradora en el salón.
- Describe your routine out loud: As you do chores, narrate what you're doing in Spanish — Ahora estoy barriendo el suelo (Now I'm sweeping the floor).
- Practice the tocarle structure: Think through whose turn it is for each chore at home — Me toca a mí... A él le toca...
- Learn tools alongside verbs: Connect each tool to its verb: la escoba → barrer, la aspiradora → pasar la aspiradora, la plancha → planchar.
- Use AI conversation practice: Apps like Promova offer daily life and household conversation practice with an AI tutor, helping you use chore vocabulary naturally in real-sounding dialogues about routines, responsibilities, and household life.
Summary
Spanish chore vocabulary centers on los quehaceres or las tareas domésticas, with a rich set of action verbs for each household task. Essential verbs include limpiar, barrer, fregar, pasar la aspiradora, and hacer la cama.
The verb tocarle is key for household conversations — me toca (it's my turn), te toca (it's your turn). Regional differences exist: fregar vs trapear for mopping, hacer la colada vs lavar la ropa for laundry.
Practice by narrating your real cleaning routine in Spanish, writing your chore list in Spanish, and connecting tools to their verbs. Household vocabulary is grounded in daily life — making it some of the most memorable and useful Spanish you can learn.
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