German word

spülen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃpyːlən/

Meaning

  • verbrinse

Example

Ich spüle das Glas nach dem Trinken.

I rinse the glass after drinking.

Illustration for spülen (rinse)

More examples

Vor dem Servieren sollte man das Besteck gründlich spülen.

Before serving, one should rinse the cutlery thoroughly.

Core concept

Water passes over an object until drink, food, or other traces are gone.

Common phrases

  • das Besteck spülen

    rinse the cutlery

  • die Toilette spülen

    flush the toilet

  • den Mund spülen

    rinse the mouth

Similar words

abspülen: Clean dishes by rinsing away dirt with water, often before putting them away.
ausspülen: Run water through a container to wash away dirt or remaining contents.
abwaschen: Remove dirt from dishes or surfaces by rubbing with a sponge or by hand.
abtrocknen: Dry a wet object by wiping away its water.

Definition in German

Wasser durch oder über etwas laufen lassen, um Rückstände wegzuspülen; häufig beim Geschirrspülen oder Ausspülen von Behältern verwendet.

Word origin

The verb spülen is inherited from Old High German spuolan through Middle High German spüelen rather than borrowed from Latin or French.

Usage tips

  • The separable forms abspülen and ausspülen specify direction: abspülen removes residue from a surface, while ausspülen rinses the inside of something.

Other meanings

  • washverb
  • wash awayverb
  • flushverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Spülmaschinedishwashernoun
  • Spülmitteldishwashing detergentnoun
  • Spülungrinsingnoun

Word lists with this word