Significado
To wash dirty clothes and linen.
Contexto cultural
Many Americans use electric dryers. Hanging clothes outside to dry is sometimes even banned by certain neighborhood associations (HOAs) for aesthetic reasons. Most UK homes have a 'washing machine' but not always a separate dryer. Many people use a 'clothes horse' (drying rack) inside the house. In Japan, doing laundry is often a daily task. Clothes are almost always hung outside on balconies, even in winter, using specialized poles. In many Italian cities, you will see laundry hanging across narrow streets on lines. It is a classic part of the urban landscape.
The 'The' Rule
You can say 'do laundry' for the general task, but use 'do THE laundry' when referring to a specific pile of clothes sitting in front of you.
No Plurals
Never say 'laundries.' If you have a lot, say 'a lot of laundry' or 'many loads of laundry.'
Significado
To wash dirty clothes and linen.
The 'The' Rule
You can say 'do laundry' for the general task, but use 'do THE laundry' when referring to a specific pile of clothes sitting in front of you.
No Plurals
Never say 'laundries.' If you have a lot, say 'a lot of laundry' or 'many loads of laundry.'
British vs American
If you are in the UK, 'do the washing' will make you sound more like a local, but 'do laundry' is never wrong.
Dirty Laundry Idiom
Be careful! If someone says 'Don't air your dirty laundry,' they aren't talking about clothes—they mean don't tell people your private problems.
Ponte a prueba
Choose the correct verb to complete the sentence.
I usually _______ laundry on Sunday nights.
'Do' is the only verb that forms a correct collocation with 'laundry' for this chore.
Fill in the missing word.
She is in the laundry room _______ laundry right now.
We use the present continuous 'doing' to describe an action happening at this moment.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Why are you wearing your pajamas to the store? B: Because I forgot to _______.
'Do laundry' explains why the person has no other clean clothes to wear.
Match the phrase to the situation.
You have a lot of dirty clothes and a bottle of detergent.
Detergent and dirty clothes are the key components of doing laundry.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Laundry Essentials
Tools
- • Basket
- • Machine
- • Detergent
- • Hangers
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosI usually _______ laundry on Sunday nights.
'Do' is the only verb that forms a correct collocation with 'laundry' for this chore.
She is in the laundry room _______ laundry right now.
We use the present continuous 'doing' to describe an action happening at this moment.
A: Why are you wearing your pajamas to the store? B: Because I forgot to _______.
'Do laundry' explains why the person has no other clean clothes to wear.
You have a lot of dirty clothes and a bottle of detergent.
Detergent and dirty clothes are the key components of doing laundry.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
12 preguntas'Do laundry' is the most common and natural collocation. 'Wash clothes' is also correct, but 'wash laundry' sounds a bit redundant.
No, this is a common mistake. In English, we 'do' chores. 'Make' is for creating something.
A 'load' is the amount of clothes that fits into the washing machine at one time.
No, it is an uncountable noun. You cannot say 'one laundry' or 'two laundries.'
In American English, 'laundry' is the standard. In British English, 'washing' is more common for the same task.
Usually, it refers to washing and drying. Ironing is often considered a separate task, though related.
A laundromat is a public place where you pay to use washing machines and dryers.
You can say 'The laundry is done' or 'I've finished the laundry.'
No, dry cleaning is a different process. You should say 'I'm taking my suit to the cleaners.'
It is neutral. You can use it with friends, family, or even in a professional context like a hotel.
It's an informal way to say it's the day you have chosen to wash all your clothes.
It's the container (usually plastic or wicker) used to hold dirty or clean clothes.
Frases relacionadas
Laundry list
similarA long list of items, often complaints or tasks.
Wash and fold
specialized formA service where you drop off laundry and they do it for you.
Dirty laundry
builds onDirty clothes, or figuratively, private secrets.
Laundry day
similarThe specific day set aside for washing clothes.
