Spanish Conversation · Level 66
60 words
Spanish word
blanquear
Pronunciation
IPA/blaŋkeˈaɾ/
Meaning
- verbbleach
Example
Quiero blanquear esta camisa.
I want to bleach this shirt.
More examples
Ella quiere blanquear los dientes antes de la boda.
She wants to bleach her teeth before the wedding.
Core concept
Clothes in a wash tub turning from dingy to pale.
Common phrases
blanquear la ropa
bleach the clothes
blanquear los dientes
bleach teeth
blanquear con lejía
bleach with chlorine bleach
Similar words
lavar: Wash garments with water and detergent to rinse away general dirt and body oils.
desmanchar: Extract set-in stains from fabric through spot treatments or specialized cleaning methods.
Definition in Spanish
Aplicar limpieza, tratamiento o pintura para que un objeto o prenda recupere o adquiera color blanco o más claro.
Word origin
Formed from blanco and the productive Spanish suffix -ear that creates verbs meaning 'to make X', with blanco tracing back to Old French blanc and a Germanic root for 'bright'.
Usage tips
- In laundry contexts blanquear commonly appears with lejía, cloro, or detergente blanqueador, so speakers usually name the bleaching agent.