Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Sink in Spanish: Fregadero, Lavabo, and Regional Variants
Fregadero · noun (masculine) · freh-gah-DEH-roh
Sink in Spanish is fregadero for the kitchen, lavabo or lavamanos for the bathroom, and pileta in Argentina. Unlike English, Spanish distinguishes between these sinks with separate words.
Fregadero is freh-gah-DEH-roh with stress on DEH. Lavabo is lah-BAH-boh. Lavamanos is lah-bah-MAH-nohs. Pileta is pee-LEH-tah.
Deja los platos en el fregadero, yo los lavo después.
Leave the dishes in the sink, I'll wash them later.
Sink in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for sink, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| fregadero | sink | freh-gah-DEH-roh | Default, widely understood |
| lavabo | sink | bathroom sink, Spain and most of Latin America | |
| lavamanos | sink | bathroom sink, common in Colombia, Mexico, Central America | |
| pileta | sink | Argentina, used for kitchen sink |
How Native Speakers Use Fregadero
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Kitchen sink
El fregadero está lleno de platos sucios.
The kitchen sink is full of dirty dishes.
Fregadero is the default word for the kitchen basin where dishes are washed.
Bathroom sink
Lávate las manos en el lavamanos antes de comer.
Wash your hands in the sink before eating.
Lavamanos literally means hand-washer and is the bathroom sink in much of Latin America.
Argentine usage
Dejé las verduras remojando en la pileta.
I left the vegetables soaking in the sink.
In Argentina, pileta is the go-to word for the kitchen sink, and can also mean a swimming pool depending on context.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Fregadero
Using fregadero for the bathroom sink
Incorrect: Me lavé la cara en el fregadero del baño.
Correct: Me lavé la cara en el lavabo del baño.
Fregadero is exclusively the kitchen sink in most dialects. For the bathroom, use lavabo or lavamanos. Mixing them sounds as odd as saying kitchen basin about a bathroom sink in English.
Confusing pileta with piscina
Incorrect: En Buenos Aires, la pileta del jardín es para lavar los platos.
Correct: In Buenos Aires, pileta can mean sink or pool depending on context.
Pileta in Argentina can mean kitchen sink, swimming pool, or basin. Context determines which meaning applies. A pileta in the garden is a pool; a pileta in the kitchen is a sink.
Lock in Sink 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 Fregadero used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using fregadero in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Deja los platos en el fregadero, yo los lavo después. 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 Sink in Spanish
- How do you say sink in Spanish?
- It depends on the room. Fregadero is the kitchen sink in most Spanish-speaking countries. Lavabo or lavamanos is the bathroom sink. In Argentina, pileta is commonly used for the kitchen sink.
- What is the difference between lavabo and lavamanos?
- Both mean bathroom sink. Lavabo is more common in Spain and several South American countries. Lavamanos is preferred in Colombia, Mexico, and Central America. They are interchangeable in meaning.
- Can fregadero mean anything besides sink?
- Fregadero almost always refers to the kitchen sink. The root is fregar, meaning to scrub or wash dishes. In some regions fregar also means to annoy, but fregadero itself stays firmly in the kitchen.