🧹 Chores - Tareas domésticas
Beginner Spanish · Household chores and responsibilities
Household Chores in Spanish
Chore vocabulary becomes much more useful when you can say who needs to do what. Learn a few common household tasks, then use simple patterns for obligations, shared responsibilities, and how often chores happen.
Your next small win: name common chores, say what you have to do, ask someone for help, and talk about whose turn it is.
Start with everyday tasks
Common Household Chores
These chores are useful enough to form the core of the lesson.
To clean
To make the bed
To take out the trash
To wash the dishes
To tidy up
To sweep
To vacuum
To dust
Say two chores
Say that you have to make the bed and wash the dishes.
Tengo que hacer la cama y lavar los platos.
More cleaning actions
To mop
To scrub
To disinfect
To clean the bathroom
To clean the kitchen
To clean the windows
Regional Spanish: trapear is common in many parts of Latin America, while fregar el suelo is common in Spain.
Other household responsibilities
To cook
To set the table
To do the grocery shopping
To walk the dog
To feed the pets
To water the plants
To take care of the garden
To recycle
Say who needs to do what
Talking About Responsibilities
Four patterns let you talk about chores in slightly different ways.
1. Tener que + infinitive
Use this pattern for something a specific person has to do.
I have to clean the house.
We have to dust the furniture.
2. Hay que + infinitive
Use this pattern when something needs to be done without focusing on one specific person.
The trash needs to be taken out.
The plants need to be watered.
3. Deber + infinitive
Use deber for what someone should do.
You should tidy your room.
4. Tocar + infinitive
Use tocar conversationally when talking about whose turn it is.
It's my turn to wash the dishes today.
It's your turn to wash the dishes today.
Compare the meaning: Tengo que limpiar focuses on my obligation. Hay que limpiar focuses on what needs doing. Debes limpiar says what you should do. Te toca limpiar says it is your turn.
Whose turn is it?
Tell someone that today it is their turn to take out the trash.
Hoy te toca sacar la basura.
Add when the chores happen
How Often Do You Do Chores?
Frequency expressions turn a chore into a routine.
Every day
Once a week
On weekends
Sometimes
Usually
Always
We vacuum once a week.
He waters the plants every morning.
I walk the dog after work.
Add a frequency
Say that you vacuum once a week.
Paso la aspiradora una vez por semana.
Share the work
Everyday Chore Conversations
Dividing the chores
Who's going to take out the trash?
I'll take it out. Can you wash the dishes?
Cleaning day
What do we have to clean today?
We need to clean the kitchen and vacuum.
Useful chore phrases
I need to clean the house this weekend.
Can you take out the trash, please?
I still haven't made the bed.
It's your turn to wash the dishes today.
Divide two chores
Say that you will take out the trash, then ask the other person to wash the dishes.
Yo saco la basura.
¿Puedes tú lavar los platos?
Cleaning supplies
Broom
Bucket
Sponge
Vacuum cleaner
Trash bag
Cleaning product
More chores in context
She mops the kitchen floor.
At my house, we separate the trash for recycling.
Your turn · 8 quick questions
Practice: Household Chores
Choose the phrase that fits each situation. Focus on everyday chores, obligations, shared responsibilities, and frequency.
Practice complete
You can talk about household chores and responsibilities.
A few chore phrases to revisit
One last step: plan the chores without choices.
Name three chores that need to be done. Say which one you have to do, which one someone else should do, and whose turn it is to do another one.
Tengo que limpiar la cocina.
Debes sacar la basura.
Hoy te toca lavar los platos.
You will take out the trash and want the other person to wash the dishes. What do you say?
- Yo la saco. ¿Puedes tú lavar los platos?
- Yo lavo los platos. ¿Puedes tú hacer la cama?
- Yo paso la aspiradora. ¿Puedes tú regar las plantas?
- Yo hago la compra. ¿Puedes tú pasear al perro?
La refers to la basura. The second sentence asks the other person to wash the dishes.
Yo la saco. ¿Puedes tú lavar los platos?
The kitchen needs cleaning and the house needs vacuuming. Which sentence uses the general responsibility pattern?
- Hay que limpiar la cocina y pasar la aspiradora.
- Tengo que hacer la cama y lavar los platos.
- Debes ordenar tu habitación y sacar la basura.
- Hoy me toca cocinar y poner la mesa.
Hay que + infinitive expresses something that needs to be done without naming one specific person.
Hay que limpiar la cocina y pasar la aspiradora.
You want to say that washing the dishes is your turn today. Which sentence fits?
- Hoy me toca lavar los platos.
- Tengo que lavar los platos.
- Hay que lavar los platos.
- Debo lavar los platos.
Me toca expresses that it is the speaker's turn.
Hoy me toca lavar los platos.
You want to tell someone that they should tidy their room. Which sentence fits?
- Debes ordenar tu habitación.
- Hay que ordenar la habitación.
- Tengo que ordenar mi habitación.
- Hoy me toca ordenar mi habitación.
Debes + infinitive expresses what the other person should do.
Debes ordenar tu habitación.
You personally have to clean the house. Which sentence expresses that obligation?
- Tengo que limpiar la casa.
- Hay que limpiar la casa.
- Debes limpiar la casa.
- Te toca limpiar la casa.
Tengo que + infinitive expresses something the speaker personally has to do.
Tengo que limpiar la casa.
You vacuum once a week. Which sentence matches?
- Paso la aspiradora una vez por semana.
- Paso la aspiradora todos los días.
- Paso la aspiradora a veces.
- Paso la aspiradora los fines de semana.
Una vez por semana means “once a week.”
una vez por semana = once a week
The plants need to be watered, but you are not saying who must do it. Which sentence fits?
- Hay que regar las plantas.
- Tengo que regar las plantas.
- Debes regar las plantas.
- Hoy me toca regar las plantas.
Hay que + infinitive is useful for a general task that needs doing.
Hay que regar las plantas.
You want to ask someone politely to take out the trash. What do you say?
- ¿Puedes sacar la basura, por favor?
- ¿Puedes lavar los platos, por favor?
- ¿Puedes hacer la cama, por favor?
- ¿Puedes regar las plantas, por favor?
Sacar la basura means “to take out the trash.”
¿Puedes sacar la basura, por favor?