Household Chores (Leaving Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Household chores - Las tareas domésticas
Understanding household chores vocabulary is essential for discussing daily routines and family responsibilities. This topic covers the key Spanish terms you need to talk about domestic tasks, who does them, and express opinions about sharing household responsibilities.
Core household chores vocabulary
Spanish household chores vocabulary falls into several categories that make it easier to learn and remember.
Learning Strategy: Organising vocabulary by room or task type helps with memorisation and makes it easier to recall words when you need them in conversation.
Kitchen and cleaning tasks
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| arreglar la cocina | to tidy the kitchen |
| fregar los platos | to wash the dishes |
| llenar el lavavajillas | to fill the dishwasher |
| vaciar el lavavajillas | to empty the dishwasher |
| poner la mesa | to set the table |
| quitar la mesa | to clear the table |
| cocinar | to cook |
| limpiar el cuarto de baño | to clean the bathroom |
| quitar el polvo | to dust |
| pasar la aspiradora | to vacuum |
| barrer el suelo | to sweep the floor |
Laundry and bedroom tasks
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| hacer la colada | to do the washing |
| tender la ropa | to hang out clothes |
| planchar | to iron |
| hacer la cama | to make the bed |
| cambiar las sábanas | to change the sheets |
Outdoor and pet care
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| cortar el césped | to cut the grass |
| sacar la basura | to take out the rubbish |
| pasear al perro | to walk the dog |
| dar de comer a las mascotas | to feed the pets |
Key verbs and expressions
When discussing household chores, certain verbs and expressions appear frequently. The verb hacer (to do/make) combines with many household tasks, whilst ayudar (to help) is crucial for talking about family cooperation.
Essential verbs
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| hacer | to do/make |
| ayudar | to help |
| compartir | to share |
| limpiar | to clean |
| ordenar | to tidy up |
| cuidar | to look after |
Expressing frequency
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| todos los días | every day |
| una vez a la semana | once a week |
| dos veces a la semana | twice a week |
| los fines de semana | at weekends |
| por turnos | taking turns |
Frequency expressions are essential for describing household routines. Notice how these phrases can be placed at the beginning or end of sentences to add detail about when chores are done.
Model sentences using the vocabulary
These example sentences show how to use household chores vocabulary in context, incorporating different tenses and family members.
Present Tense Examples
- "Mi madre pasa la aspiradora todos los sábados." (My mother vacuums every Saturday.)
- "Mis hermanos y yo compartimos las tareas domésticas." (My brothers and I share the household chores.)
- "En mi familia, mi padre cocina los domingos." (In my family, my dad cooks on Sundays.)
Past Tense Examples
- "Ayer ayudé a mi madre a limpiar el cuarto de baño." (Yesterday I helped my mum clean the bathroom.)
- "El fin de semana pasado tendí la ropa en el jardín." (Last weekend I hung out the clothes in the garden.)
Future and Conditional Examples
- "Mañana voy a hacer la colada." (Tomorrow I'm going to do the washing.)
- "Me gustaría ayudar más con las tareas de casa." (I would like to help more with housework.)
Grammar Note: Notice how the verb gustar works differently in Spanish - me gusta literally means "it pleases me".
Useful expressions and idioms
Expressing likes and dislikes
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Me gusta hacer... | I like doing... |
| No me gusta hacer... | I don't like doing... |
| Lo que más me gusta hacer es... | What I most like doing is... |
| Lo que menos me gusta hacer es... | What I least like doing is... |
| ¡Qué asco! | How disgusting! |
Talking about responsibility
Understanding how to discuss fairness and responsibility in household tasks is crucial for expressing opinions about family dynamics.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Es importante que... | It's important that... |
| Creo que es justo | I think it's fair |
| echar una mano | to lend a hand |
| compartir las tareas | to share the tasks |
| por turnos | taking turns |
| la responsabilidad | responsibility |
| la igualdad | equality |
Key Idiomatic Expression: Echar una mano is a very common and natural way to say "to help" or "to lend a hand" - much more colloquial than just using "ayudar".
Family cooperation
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| En mi familia todos ayudamos | In my family we all help |
| compartimos los quehaceres | we share the chores |
| Es justo que todos participen | It's fair that everyone participates |
| Hay un buen ambiente en casa | There's a good atmosphere at home |
Sample piece on household chores
Prompt: Describe how household chores are shared in your family and give your opinion about young people helping at home.
En mi casa, creo que tenemos un sistema bastante justo para las tareas domésticas. Mis padres trabajan mucho durante la semana, así que los fines de semana toda la familia ayuda con la limpieza. Mi hermana mayor siempre hace la colada y plancha la ropa porque dice que le gusta escuchar música mientras lo hace. Yo prefiero echar una mano en la cocina - me gusta cocinar y además siempre friego los platos después de cenar.
Notice the Structure: The sample piece starts with a clear position statement and then provides specific examples of how each family member contributes.
Mi madre se encarga del jardín y corta el césped, mientras que mi padre normalmente pasa la aspiradora y limpia los cuartos de baño. Lo que nadie quiere hacer es sacar la basura, ¡qué asco! Por eso lo hacemos por turnos.
En mi opinión, es muy importante que los jóvenes participen en las tareas del hogar. No solo ayuda a los padres, sino que también nos enseña a ser más responsables e independientes. Cuando vaya a la universidad el año que viene, ya sabré cuidar de mí mismo porque he aprendido a cocinar, limpiar y arreglármelas en casa.
Advanced Grammar: The phrase "es importante que" is followed by the subjunctive mood (los jóvenes participen), which is essential for expressing opinions and making recommendations in Spanish.
In my house, I think we have quite a fair system for household chores. My parents work a lot during the week, so at weekends the whole family helps with cleaning. My older sister always does the washing and irons clothes because she says she likes listening to music while doing it. I prefer to lend a hand in the kitchen - I like cooking and I also always wash up after dinner.
My mother takes care of the garden and mows the lawn, while my father usually does the vacuuming and cleans the bathrooms. What nobody wants to do is take out the rubbish – how disgusting! That's why we take turns doing it.
In my opinion, it's very important that young people participate in household tasks. It not only helps parents, but also teaches us to be more responsible and independent. When I go to university next year, I'll already know how to look after myself because I've learned to cook, clean and manage at home.
High-value elements: Complex sentence structures with subjunctive ("es importante que" (it's important that)), idiomatic expressions in bold, varied tenses, opinion expressions, and connectors like "así que" (so / therefore), "mientras que" (while / whereas), "no solo...sino que también"(not only...but also).
Key Points to Remember:
- Learn household chores vocabulary in themed groups (kitchen, cleaning, laundry) for easier memorisation
- Use me gusta + infinitive to express preferences about chores
- Echar una mano and compartir los quehaceres are key expressions for discussing family cooperation
- Practice using different tenses when talking about household routines - present for habits, past for specific occasions
- Connect chores vocabulary with opinions about responsibility and equality for more sophisticated responses