Household Chores (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Household chores
Learning to talk about household chores is essential for describing your daily routine and family life in Spanish. This topic helps you express what you do to help at home and discuss responsibilities with others.
Mastering household chore vocabulary is particularly useful for GCSE Spanish speaking assessments, where you might be asked to describe your home life and daily routines.
Essential vocabulary
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la tarea doméstica | household chore |
| pasar la aspiradora | to hoover |
| sacar la basura | to take out the rubbish |
| planchar la ropa | to iron clothes |
| cocinar | to cook |
| limpiar la cocina | to clean the kitchen |
| quitar la mesa | to clear the table |
| arreglar el dormitorio | to tidy the bedroom |
| cortar el césped | to mow the lawn |
| pasear al perro | to walk the dog |
| barrer el suelo | to sweep the floor |
| hacer la cama | to make the bed |
| lavar los platos | to wash the dishes |
| poner la mesa | to set the table |
| poner la ropa en la lavadora | to put clothes in the washing machine |
Example sentences
Worked Examples: Using Household Chore Vocabulary
Spanish: Yo paso la aspiradora todos los sábados. English: I hoover every Saturday.
Spanish: Mi hermana hace su cama cada mañana. English: My sister makes her bed every morning.
Spanish: ¿Puedes poner la mesa, por favour? English: Can you set the table, please?
Spanish: Nosotros sacamos la basura los martes. English: We take out the rubbish on Tuesdays.
When talking about chores, you often use the verb hacer (to do) plus the chore, or specific verbs like lavar (to wash), limpiar (to clean). Notice how la mesa (the table) is used with both poner (to set) and quitar (to clear).
Grammar micro-focus: Dar vs poner
Two important verbs when discussing household help are dar (to give) and poner (to put/place).
Dar (to give):
- Yo doy- I give
- Tú das- You give
- Él/Ella da- He/She gives
Poner (to put/place):
- Yo pongo - I put
- Tú pones - You put
- Él/Ella pone- He/She puts
Key Usage Patterns:
- Dar de comer al gato - To feed the cat
- Poner la ropa en la lavadora - To put clothes in the washing machine
Notice that dar de comer is a fixed expression meaning "to feed" when talking about pets.
Phrase bank
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué haces para ayudar en casa? | What do you do to help at home? |
| Ayudo mucho en casa | I help a lot at home |
| No me gusta cocinar | I don't like cooking |
| Hago mi cama cada día | I make my bed every day |
| ¿Puedes ayudarme? | Can you help me? |
| Por supuesto | Of course |
| Lo siento, estoy ocupado/a | Sorry, I'm busy |
Translation exercises
Translation Practice: Household Chores
Spanish to English:
- Mi madre cocina excelentemente
- Arreglo mi dormitorio los domingos
English to Spanish: 3. I wash the dishes after dinner 4. We clean the kitchen together
Common errors and fixes
Avoid These Common Mistakes:
Error: Hago el aspiradora ❌ Fix: Paso la aspiradora ✅ Reason: Use pasar (to pass/run) with hoover, not hacer (to do).
Error: Pongo mesa ❌ Fix: Pongo la mesa ✅ Reason: Always include the article la with feminine nouns like mesa.
Error: Lavo el platos ❌ Fix: Lavo los platos ✅ Reason: Platos (plates) is plural, so use los not el.
Translation answers
Answer Key:
- My mother cooks excellently
- I tidy my bedroom on Sundays
- Lavo los platos después de la cena
- Limpiamos la cocina juntos
Key Points to Remember:
- Use specific verbs for chores: pasar la aspiradora (to vacuum), hacer la cama (to make the bed), lavar los platos (to wash the dishes)
- Don't forget articles: la mesa (the table), los platos (the plates), el suelo (the floor)
- Dar (to give) is used for feeding pets: dar de comer al gato/perro (to feed the cat/dog)
- Poner means to put/place/set: poner la mesa (to set the table), poner la ropa (to put away the clothes / to lay out the clothes — context dependent)
- Ask for help politely: ¿Puedes ayudarme, por favour? (Can you help me, please?)