tvätta

Swedish

From Old Norse þváttr, from Proto-Germanic *þwahtuz, from the root of the verb þvá.

tvätta (present tvättar, preterite tvättade, supine tvättat, imperative tvätta)

(sometimes with av (“off”)) to wash, to clean (clean with water (or another solvent, and often soap or detergent) – normally not of washing dishes, see usage notes)
Han tvättade kläderna
He washed the clothes

en tvättmaskin
a washing machine [Could be seen as deriving from tvätt as well]

Hon tvättade händerna
She washed her hands

tvätta altanen
wash the deck

kemtvätta mattan
dry clean [chem-wash] the carpet
1. to launder
(sometimes with av (“off”), reflexive) to wash, to clean (oneself)
Katter tvättar sig genom att slicka pälsen
Cats clean themselves by licking their fur
to launder (money)
tvätta pengar
launder money

Tvätta can be used whenever something is cleaned with water (or another solvent), with one exception: Diska is used for washing dishes.

Conjugation of tvätta (weak)

	Active		Passive
Infinitive	tvätta		tvättas
Supine	tvättat		tvättats
Imperative	tvätta		—
Imper. plural¹	tvätten		—
	Present	Past	Present	Past
Indicative	tvättar	tvättade	tvättas	tvättades
Ind. plural¹	tvätta	tvättade	tvättas	tvättades
Subjunctive²	tvätte	tvättade	tvättes	tvättades
	Participles
Present participle	tvättande
Past participle	tvättad
¹ Archaic. ² Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.