Are you struggling to ask where to wash your hands abroad or how to say WASH in different languages? You’re not alone! Cleanliness is a universal value, and the word “wash” is fundamental in every culture.
Here’s the good news: I’ve got you covered with translations, pronunciations, and cultural insights that make this word both practical and fascinating.
“Washing” represents more than hygiene—it’s a way to express care for oneself, others, and the environment. Across languages, it reflects shared human practices and traditions.
In this post, we’ll explore translations of “wash” in various languages, its cultural importance, and how you can use it effectively in daily life.
Why Is It Important to Know WASH in Different Languages?
Hygiene and Health Whether washing your hands, clothes, or food, this term ensures health and cleanliness worldwide.
Practical Travel Phrase Knowing how to say “wash” helps you navigate new cultures, whether asking for a washroom or understanding laundry services.
Cultural Insight In many cultures, washing carries spiritual and ceremonial significance, and learning the term connects you with these traditions.
More Translations of WASH in Different Languages With Pronunciation Guide
Language
Word
Pronunciation
Amharic (Ethiopia)
ጠብቅ
t’äbïk’
Georgian
დალვა
dalva
Mongolian
угаах
ugaakh
Nepali
धोउनु
dhounu
Sinhala (Sri Lanka)
සෝදා
soda
Estonian
pesema
peh-seh-mah
Latvian
mazgāt
maaz-gaat
Lithuanian
plauti
plau-tee
Macedonian
пере
peh-reh
Armenian
լվանալ
lvanal
Bosnian
prati
prah-tee
Albanian
laj
lie
French
laver
lah-vay
German
waschen
vah-shen
Spanish
lavar
lah-var
Italian
lavare
lah-vah-ray
Portuguese
lavar
lah-var
Dutch
wassen
wah-sen
Catalan
rentar
ren-tar
Swedish
tvätta
tveht-tah
Danish
vaske
vash-keh
Norwegian
vaske
vas-keh
Finnish
pestä
pes-tah
Icelandic
þvo
thv-oh
Russian
мыть
myt’
Polish
myć
mich
Czech
mýt
meet
Hungarian
mosni
mosh-nee
Slovak
umývať
oo-mee-vaht’
Ukrainian
мити
my-tee
Bulgarian
мия
mee-ya
Serbian
прати
prah-tee
Irish Gaelic
níochán
nee-ahn
Scottish Gaelic
nighe
nee-yeh
Welsh
golchi
gol-khi
Basque
garbitu
gar-bee-too
Maltese
inaddfu
in-add-foo
Chinese (Simplified)
洗
xǐ
Chinese (Traditional)
洗
xǐ
Japanese
洗う
arau
Korean
씻다
ssit-da
Hindi
धोना
dhona
Bengali
ধোওয়া
dho-owa
Tamil
கழுவு
kazhuvu
Urdu
دھونا
dhona
Punjabi
ਧੋਣਾ
dhona
Telugu
కడగడం
kadagadam
Gujarati
ધોવું
dhovu
Kannada
ತೊಳೆಯುವುದು
toleyu
Thai
ล้าง
láang
Vietnamese
rửa
ruh
Indonesian
cuci
choo-chee
Malay
basuh
ba-soo
Khmer (Cambodian)
លាង
leang
Burmese (Myanmar)
ဆေးဝါး
hsei-wah
Kazakh
жуу
zhoo
Uzbek
yuvmoq
yuv-mok
Turkmen
ýuwmak
yoo-vmak
Tajik
шустан
shustan
Arabic
غسل
ghusl
Hebrew
לשטוף
lishtof
Persian (Farsi)
شستن
shostan
Turkish
yıkamak
yee-kah-mak
Kurdish (Sorani)
شستن
shostin
Swahili
kuosha
koo-oh-sha
Zulu
ukuhlanza
oo-khuh-lahn-zah
Afrikaans
was
vahs
Yoruba
wẹ
weh
Igbo
sachapụ
sah-chah-pu
Hausa
wanke
wahn-keh
Somali
dhaq
dhaah
Filipino (Tagalog)
maghugas
mag-hoo-gas
Cebuano
hugas
hoo-gahs
Maori
horoi
hoh-roy
Hawaiian
hoʻomaʻamaʻa
hoh-oh-mah-ah-mah-ah
Javanese
ngumbah
ngum-bah
Malagasy
manasa
ma-na-sa
Quechua
t’iya
tee-ya
Navajo
bilasáana
bih-lah-sah-nah
Cultural Significance of Washing
Spiritual Rituals In many religions, washing is a spiritual act symbolizing purification.
Arabic: Wudu (وضوء) is the Islamic act of washing before prayer.
Hindi: Ritual bathing is significant in Hinduism, especially in rivers like the Ganges.
Daily Practices Across cultures, washing plays a vital role in cleanliness and health.
Swahili: Washing hands before meals is a common cultural practice.
Japanese: Handwashing and mouth rinsing are integral to temple visits.
Eco-Friendly Perspectives In many regions, sustainable washing practices are emphasized to preserve water and natural resources.
Practical Ways to Use “Wash” in Context
Asking for a Washroom
Spanish: “¿Dónde puedo lavar mis manos?” (Where can I wash my hands?)
French: “Où puis-je me laver les mains ?”
Laundry Services
Swahili: “Nataka kuosha nguo zangu.” (I want to wash my clothes.)
Hindi: “मुझे अपने कपड़े धोने हैं।” (I need to wash my clothes.)
Food Hygiene
Chinese: “请洗水果。” (Please wash the fruit.)
Japanese: “果物を洗ってください。” (Wash the fruit, please.)
How to Learn “Wash” in Different Languages
Practice Contextual Phrases Create sentences using “wash” that match real-life situations. For example:
“I need to wash my clothes.”
French: “Je dois laver mes vêtements.”
Use Language Apps Apps like Duolingo or Babbel are great for building everyday vocabulary, including “wash.”
Listen and Repeat Find native speakers or audio examples to perfect pronunciation.
Pronunciation Guide and Cultural Insights for “Wash”
Tips for Proper Pronunciation
Listen and Repeat: Use language learning apps or online platforms to hear native speakers pronounce “wash.” This will help you understand the correct sounds and intonation.
Use Phonetic Spelling: “wash” is pronounced /wɒʃ/ in phonetic spelling. Break it down into syllables: “wah-sh.”
Practice Regularly: Consistent practice will enhance your pronunciation and confidence.
Cultural Significance of “Wash”
Washing is important in many cultures, symbolizing cleanliness, purification, and renewal. It is often associated with:
Rituals and Traditions: In several cultures, washing is a key component of religious or cultural practices, such as cleansing before prayers.
Health and Hygiene: Washing is universally linked to maintaining health and hygiene, reflecting the importance of cleanliness in everyday life.
Symbolism: Beyond its physical meaning, washing can also represent metaphorical cleansing, such as washing away sins or starting fresh in a new life chapter.
Usage Examples of “Wash” in Different Languages
Amharic (Ethiopia): እታመስ (ʾīt’āmes)
Usage: እታመስ አለኝ። (ʾIt’āmes āleñ.)
Translation: “I need to wash.”
Georgian: დაბანა (dábana)
Usage: ხელები უნდა დაიბანოთ. (K’elebi unda daibanot.)
Usage: Таа го пера своето лице. (Taa go pera svoeto lice.)
Translation: “She is washing her face.”
Armenian: լվանալ (lvanal)
Usage: Ես պետք է ձեռքերը լվանամ։ (Yes petk’ e dzerrkere lvanam.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Bosnian: prati
Usage: Moram oprati ruke. (Moram oprati ruke.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Albanian: laj
Usage: Duhet të laj duar. (Duhet të laj duar.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
French: laver
Usage: Je dois laver mes mains. (Je dois laver mes mains.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
German: waschen
Usage: Du solltest dir die Hände waschen. (Du solltest dir die Hände waschen.)
Translation: “You should wash your hands.”
Spanish: lavar
Usage: Debo lavar mis manos. (Debo lavar mis manos.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Italian: lavare
Usage: Devo lavarmi le mani. (Devo lavarmi le mani.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Portuguese: lavar
Usage: Eu preciso lavar as mãos. (Eu preciso lavar as mãos.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Dutch: wassen
Usage: Ik moet mijn handen wassen. (Ik moet mijn handen wassen.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Catalan: rentar
Usage: He de rentar les mans. (He de rentar les mans.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Swedish: tvätta
Usage: Jag måste tvätta mina händer. (Jag måste tvätta mina händer.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Danish: vaske
Usage: Jeg skal vaske mine hænder. (Jeg skal vaske mine hænder.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Norwegian: vaske
Usage: Jeg må vaske hendene mine. (Jeg må vaske hendene mine.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Finnish: pestä
Usage: Minun täytyy pestä kädet. (Minun täytyy pestä kädet.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Icelandic: þvo
Usage: Ég þarf að þvo hendurnar mínar. (Ég þarf að þvo hendurnar mínar.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Russian: мыть (myt’)
Usage: Я должен помыть руки. (Ya dolzhen pomyt’ ruki.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Polish: myć
Usage: Muszę umyć ręce. (Muszę umyć ręce.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Czech: mýt
Usage: Musím si umýt ruce. (Musím si umýt ruce.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Hungarian: mosni
Usage: Meg kell mosnom a kezem. (Meg kell mosnom a kezem.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Slovak: umývať
Usage: Musím si umyť ruky. (Musím si umyť ruky.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Ukrainian: мити (myty)
Usage: Я повинен помити руки. (Ya povynen pomyty ruki.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Bulgarian: мия (miya)
Usage: Трябва да измия ръцете си. (Tryabva da izmiya rŭtsete si.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Serbian: прати (prati)
Usage: Moram oprati ruke. (Moram oprati ruke.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Irish Gaelic: níochán
Usage: Ní mór dom mo lámha a ní. (Ní mór dom mo lámha a ní.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Scottish Gaelic: nighe
Usage: Feumaidh mi mo làmhan a nighe. (Feumaidh mi mo làmhan a nighe.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Welsh: golchi
Usage: Rhaid i mi olchi fy nwylo. (Rhaid i mi olchi fy nwylo.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Basque: garbitu
Usage: Eskuak garbitu behar ditut. (Eskuak garbitu behar ditut.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Maltese: lix
Usage: Ghandi bżonn lix idej. (Ghandi bżonn lix idej.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Korean: 씻다 (ssitda)
Usage: 손을 씻어야 해요. (Son-eul ssiseoya haeyo.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Chinese (Mandarin): 洗 (xǐ)
Usage: 我需要洗手。 (Wǒ xūyào xǐ shǒu.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Japanese: 洗う (arau)
Usage: 手を洗わなければなりません。 (Te o arawanakereba narimasen.)
Translation: “I need to wash my hands.”
Final Thoughts
The word “wash” is essential for hygiene, health, and respectful cultural interaction. Learning how to say it in different languages will help you easily navigate global settings while appreciating the shared human value of cleanliness.
Start practicing these translations today and embrace the universal language of washing!
What’s your favorite way to incorporate new words into daily life? Share in the comments below!
