Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Dishes in Spanish: Lavar los Platos
Platos · noun (masculine, plural) · PLAH-tohs
Dishes in Spanish is los platos, or los trastes in Mexico and la vajilla for the whole set. To do the dishes is lavar los platos.
Platos is PLAH-tohs.
Me toca lavar los platos esta noche.
It's my turn to do the dishes tonight.
Dishes in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for dishes, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| platos | dishes | PLAH-tohs | Default, widely understood |
| trastes | dishes | dishes (Mexico) | |
| vajilla | dishes | the whole set of dishware |
How Native Speakers Use Platos
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
A chore turn
Me toca lavar los platos esta noche.
It's my turn to do the dishes tonight.
Me toca means it's my turn.
In the sink
Deja los platos sucios en el fregadero.
Leave the dirty dishes in the sink.
Platos sucios are dirty dishes.
Spain's verb
En España dicen fregar los platos.
In Spain they say fregar los platos.
Fregar is the Spain verb for washing dishes.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Platos
Thinking platos means only plates
Incorrect: Assuming lavar los platos excludes cups and pots.
Correct: Lavar los platos covers all the dishes.
Although un plato is literally a plate, lavar los platos is the set phrase for washing all the dishes, just like do the dishes in English.
Confusing fregar regionally
Incorrect: Using fregar los platos in Mexico and expecting it to sound neutral.
Correct: In Mexico say lavar los trastes or lavar los platos.
Fregar means to wash dishes in Spain, but in Mexico fregar often means to bother, so Mexicans say lavar los trastes.
Lock in Dishes 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 Platos used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using platos in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Me toca lavar los platos esta noche. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Dishes in Spanish
- How do you say dishes in Spanish?
- Dishes in Spanish is los platos, or los trastes in Mexico and la vajilla for the full set, and to do the dishes is lavar los platos.
- What is a dishwasher called?
- The appliance is el lavavajillas or el lavaplatos, and a person who washes dishes for a job is also un lavaplatos.
- What does vajilla mean?
- La vajilla is the complete set of dishes and tableware, the collective term for your dishware.