Introduction
Limpiar means “to clean”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Limpiar is the verb for cleaning a place: the house, the kitchen, the bathroom. The place is the direct object, with no preposition. Limpiar + object names what you clean: the windows, the floor, the car. It is how you talk about household work. This page shows limpiar in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Yo limpio la casa los sábados.” — I clean the house on Saturdays.
Limpiar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how limpiar is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use limpiar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Yo limpio la casa los sábados.” — I clean the house on Saturdays.
“¿Tú limpias la cocina?” — Do you clean the kitchen?
“Mi padre limpia el coche los domingos.” — My father cleans the car on Sundays.
“Nosotros limpiamos con un trapo y jabón.” — We clean with a cloth and soap.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show limpiar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer yo limpié la casa.” — Yesterday I cleaned the house. (preterite)
“Mi padre limpiaba el coche todos los domingos.” — My father used to clean the car every Sunday. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of limpiar stays the same.
“Nosotros limpiaremos las ventanas mañana.” — We will clean the windows tomorrow. (future)
“¿Tú has limpiado ya la cocina?” — Have you cleaned the kitchen yet? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros limpiáis las ventanas.” — You clean the windows.
“Ellos limpian el baño.” — They clean the bathroom.
“Yo limpio el suelo con la fregona.” — I clean the floor with the mop.
“Mi madre limpia la cocina después de cenar.” — My mother cleans the kitchen after dinner.
Limpiar in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how limpiar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Sara: “¿Tú limpias la cocina?” — Do you clean the kitchen?
Diego: “Sí, yo limpio la casa los sábados.” — Yes, I clean the house on Saturdays.
Sara: “Nosotros limpiamos con un trapo y jabón.” — We clean with a cloth and soap.
Diego: “Y ellos limpian el baño.” — And they clean the bathroom.
Sara: “Vosotros limpiáis las ventanas.” — You clean the windows.
Diego: “Sí, y mi padre limpia el coche los domingos.” — Yes, and my father cleans the car on Sundays.
A short paragraph
Sara limpia la casa los sábados, y su padre limpia el coche los domingos. Nosotros limpiamos con un trapo y jabón, y ellos limpian el baño. Yo limpio el suelo con la fregona, y mi madre limpia la cocina después de cenar. Limpiar is part of every weekend, because cleaning the house, cleaning the car and cleaning with a cloth are all part of the same verb.
Common mistakes with limpiar
These are the errors learners actually make with limpiar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo limpio de la casa.” Right: “Yo limpio la casa.” Why: Limpiar takes a direct object with no preposition: limpio la casa, not limpio de la casa. The de appears only in phrases such as 'limpio la casa de polvo', where it belongs to the dust, not to limpiar.
Wrong: “Ellos limpia el baño.” Right: “Ellos limpian el baño.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form limpian. The singular limpia belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as mi padre.
Wrong: “Yo limpio la casa ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo limpié la casa.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to limpié.
Wrong: “Nosotros limpias las ventanas.” Right: “Nosotros limpiamos las ventanas.” Why: Nosotros needs limpiamos. The tú form limpias belongs with tú.
Wrong: “Ellos limpio todos los días.” Right: “Ellos limpian todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form limpian, not the yo form limpio. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.
Quiz: limpiar in use
Ten questions on limpiar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ las ventanas.” (You clean the windows.)
- (a) limpias
- (b) limpiáis
- (c) limpio
Answer: limpiáis — The vosotros/as form of limpiar in the present tense is limpiáis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ el baño.” (They clean the bathroom.)
- (a) limpian
- (b) limpio
- (c) limpias
Answer: limpian — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of limpiar in the present tense is limpian.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ la casa.” (Yesterday I cleaned the house.)
- (a) limpiaste
- (b) limpió
- (c) limpié
Answer: limpié — In the preterite, the yo form of limpiar is limpié.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Mi padre ______ el coche todos los domingos.” (My father used to clean the car every Sunday.)
- (a) limpiabas
- (b) limpiaba
- (c) limpiaba
Answer: limpiaba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of limpiar is limpiaba.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Nosotros ______ las ventanas mañana.” (We will clean the windows tomorrow.)
- (a) limpiaremos
- (b) limpiaré
- (c) limpiarás
Answer: limpiaremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of limpiar is limpiaremos.
6. What does limpiar mean in English?
- (a) to finish, to end
- (b) to serve
- (c) to clean
Answer: to clean — Limpiar means “to clean”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo limpio la casa.
- (b) Yo limpio de la casa.
- (c) Ellos limpia el baño.
Answer: Yo limpio la casa. — “Yo limpio la casa.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I clean the floor with the mop.” in Spanish?
- (a) Yo limpian el suelo con la fregona.
- (b) Yo limpio el suelo con la fregona.
- (c) Mi madre limpia la cocina después de cenar.
Answer: Yo limpio el suelo con la fregona. — “Yo limpio el suelo con la fregona.” is the correct translation. The second option means something different, and the third uses the wrong person's form.
9. What is the nosotros form of limpiar in the present tense?
- (a) limpio
- (b) limpias
- (c) limpiamos
Answer: limpiamos — The nosotros form is limpiamos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Ayer yo limpié la casa.
- (b) Nosotros limpiaremos las ventanas mañana.
- (c) Yo limpio la casa los sábados.
Answer: Yo limpio la casa los sábados. — “Yo limpio la casa los sábados.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I clean the house' in Spanish?
Say 'Limpio la casa'. The place follows directly with no preposition. For a routine: 'Limpio la casa los sábados'.
How do you say 'to clean the windows' in Spanish?
Say 'limpiar las ventanas'. In the present: 'Vosotros limpiáis las ventanas'. The windows are the direct object.
Can limpiar be used for cleaning yourself?
For yourself, Spanish uses lavarse: 'Me lavo las manos' (I wash my hands). Limpiar is for places and things, while lavarse is for the body.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of limpiar — every tense of limpiar in one place.
- Limpiar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on limpiar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of limpiar until they are automatic.