Goethe B1 Verb

spülen

hat gespült · spülte
Based on: *(s)plei-
1.

to flush

(the toilet)
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Examples
  • "Hast du gespült?""Nein! Ich habe nichts zu verstecken."
  • "Did you flush?""No, I have nothing to hide."
2.

to rinse

(Dishes and laundry... the part of washing where the detergent is washed out completely. )
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Examples
  • Ich spüle das Waschmittel gründlich aus den Hemden.
  • I rinse the detergent thoroughly out of the shirts.
3.

to clean

(For dishes ... "das Geschirr spülen".)
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Examples
  • Ich spüle nach dem Essen das Geschirr.
  • I wash the dishes after the meal.

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Questions and Comments

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2 Comments
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Mateo
Mateo

Tiny typo above – rinse, not rince.

Would spülen also be used for rinsing (off) one’s face? I saw the note on abspülen that it’s better for objects rather than people, but I didn’t know if that extends to the related verbs.

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Emanuel
Author
Emanuel
Reply to  Mateo

No, it would sound weird for a face or any body part. “abspülen” is okay, but “spülen” alone is really strange.
“waschen” is the default for a face.

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How many meanings does the German word 'spülen' have?

spülen has 3 distinct meanings: 1. to flush , 2. to rinse , 3. to clean.

What is the past tense of 'spülen'?

hat gespült / spülte

What is 'spülen' related to?

The word 'spülen' is related to *(s)plei-.

Where can I learn more about 'spülen'?

Check out the main YourDailyGerman Dictionary for more German vocabulary entries.