tvätta

From Old Norse þváttr, from Proto-Germanic *þwahtuz, from the root of the verb þvá.

• IPA^(key): /ˈtvɛtːˌa/

• Audio:

  (file)

tvätta (present tvättar, preterite tvättade, supine tvättat, imperative tvätta)

1. (sometimes with av (“off”)) to wash, to clean (clean with water (or another solvent, and often soap or detergent) – normally not of washing dishes, see usage notes)

   Han tvättade kläderna

   He washed the clothes

   en tvättmaskin

   a washing machine [Could be seen as deriving from tvätt as well]

   Hon tvättade händerna

   She washed her hands

   tvätta altanen

   wash the deck

   kemtvätta mattan

   dry clean [chem-wash] the carpet

   1. to launder
2. (sometimes with av (“off”), reflexive) to wash, to clean (oneself)

   Katter tvättar sig genom att slicka pälsen

   Cats clean themselves by licking their fur

3. to launder (money)

   tvätta pengar

   launder money

Tvätta can be used whenever something is cleaned with water (or another solvent), with one exception: Diska is used for washing dishes.

• kemtvätta (“dry clean”)
• handtvätta
• tvättmaskin (“washing machine”)
• tvättmedel (“detergent”)

• tvaga
• tvagning
• två
• tvätt

• diska
• rengöra (“clean”)
• spola
• stryka (“iron”)
• städa (“clean, tidy”)

• tvätta in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• tvätta in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• tvätta in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)