Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Chores in Spanish: How to Say Quehaceres and Talk About Household Tasks
Quehaceres · noun (masculine plural) · keh-ah-SEH-rehs
Chores in Spanish is quehaceres, a masculine plural noun built from the verb quehacer (to do). It covers all the routine tasks that keep a household running—sweeping, washing dishes, taking out the trash, and beyond.
Four syllables: keh-ah-SEH-rehs. The stress lands on the third syllable. Don't skip the initial 'ke' sound—it is not silent.
Tengo que terminar los quehaceres antes de salir.
I have to finish the chores before going out.
Chores in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for chores, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| quehaceres | chores | keh-ah-SEH-rehs | Default, widely understood |
| tareas del hogar | chores | literally tasks of the home, neutral across regions | |
| labores domésticas | chores | formal or written register, common in news and ads |
How Native Speakers Use Quehaceres
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Weekend cleaning routine
Los sábados repartimos los quehaceres entre toda la familia.
On Saturdays we split the chores among the whole family.
Quehaceres in the sense of dividing household duties, a very common weekend scenario.
Asking a roommate for help
¿Me ayudas con las tareas del hogar? No he parado en todo el día.
Can you help me with the household chores? I haven't stopped all day.
Tareas del hogar works perfectly in casual speech when specifying home-related tasks.
Formal workplace memo
Las labores domésticas no remuneradas siguen recayendo mayoritariamente en las mujeres.
Unpaid domestic chores continue to fall disproportionately on women.
Labores domésticas is the preferred term in academic, journalistic, and policy contexts.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Quehaceres
Using singular quehacer for multiple tasks
Incorrect: Tengo mucho quehacer hoy.
Correct: Tengo muchos quehaceres hoy.
While quehacer can appear in the singular as a general concept, when listing or referring to multiple tasks the plural quehaceres is standard. Muchos needs the plural form to agree.
Translating chores as deberes
Incorrect: Mis deberes de la casa incluyen barrer.
Correct: Mis quehaceres de la casa incluyen barrer.
Deberes primarily means duties or homework. Using it for household chores sounds awkward—quehaceres or tareas del hogar are the natural choices.
Lock in Chores Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Quehaceres used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using quehaceres in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Tengo que terminar los quehaceres antes de salir. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
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Common Questions About Chores in Spanish
- What is the difference between quehaceres and tareas del hogar?
- They are nearly interchangeable. Quehaceres is slightly more colloquial and broader—it can include any pending tasks—while tareas del hogar explicitly points to household duties. Both are perfectly natural in everyday conversation.
- Can I use labores domésticas in casual conversation?
- You can, but it sounds formal. In everyday speech, stick with quehaceres or tareas del hogar. Labores domésticas fits better in news articles, academic papers, or official documents.
- Is quehaceres masculine or feminine?
- Masculine. You say los quehaceres. The word comes from the infinitive quehacer, and like most -er derived nouns in Spanish, it takes a masculine article.