Phrase guide

do the dishes

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To wash up dirty crockery (plates and dishes) and cutlery (knives, forks, and spoons).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • I make my children do the dishes if they are impolite during dinner.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: do the washing-up

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

wash dishes

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I cook and my husband washes up after dinner

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: wash up

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: clean, make clean

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

42 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: غَسَلَ الصُّحُون (ḡasala ṣ-ṣuḥūn) — to wash up dishes
  • Arabic: غَسَلَ الْأَطْبَاق (ḡasala l-ʔaṭbāq) — to wash up dishes
  • Bulgarian: ми́я чини́и (míja činíi) — to wash up dishes
  • Catalan: escurar — to wash up dishes
  • Catalan: rentar els plats — to wash up dishes
  • Chinese Mandarin: 洗碗 (xǐwǎn) — to wash up dishes
  • Chinese Mandarin: 洗餐具 (xǐ cānjù) — to wash up dishes
  • Czech: mýt nádobí — to wash up dishes
  • Danish: vaske op — to wash up dishes
  • Dutch: de afwas doen — to wash up dishes
  • Dutch: afwassen — to wash up dishes
  • Finnish: tiskata — to wash up dishes
  • Finnish: pestä astiat — to wash up dishes
  • French: faire la vaisselle — to wash up dishes
  • French: faire la plonge — to wash up dishes
  • German: abwaschen — to wash up dishes
  • German: spülen — to wash up dishes
  • Hungarian: mosogat — to wash up dishes
  • Hungarian: elmosogat — to wash up dishes
  • Icelandic: vaska upp — to wash up dishes
  • Irish: nigh na soithí — to wash up dishes
  • Italian: lavare i piatti — to wash up dishes
  • Italian: fare i piatti — to wash up dishes
  • Japanese: 皿を洗う (sara o arau) — to wash up dishes
  • Japanese: 食器類を洗う (shokkirui o arau) — to wash up dishes
  • Japanese: 皿洗いをする (saraarai o suru) — to wash up dishes
  • Korean: 설거지하다 (seolgeojihada) — to wash up dishes
  • Norman: laver les vaissieaux — to wash up dishes
  • Norwegian Bokmål: vaske opp — to wash up dishes
  • Polish: zmywać — to wash up dishes
  • Polish: pozmywać — to wash up dishes
  • Portuguese: lavar a louça — to wash up dishes
  • Russian: мыть посу́ду (mytʹ posúdu) — to wash up dishes
  • Russian: помы́ть посу́ду (pomýtʹ posúdu) — to wash up dishes
  • Spanish: fregar — to wash up dishes
  • Spanish: lavar los platos — to wash up dishes
  • Spanish: lavar la loza — to wash up dishes
  • Swedish: diska — to wash up dishes
  • Tagalog: hugasan ang mga pinggan — to wash up dishes
  • Thai: ล้างจาน — to wash up dishes
  • Turkish: bulaşıkları yıkamak — to wash up dishes
  • Welsh: gwneud y llestri — to wash up dishes