verb
to wash (dishes), to rinse
B1
spülen means 'to wash (dishes)' or 'to rinse', mainly for dishes, sinks or to flush. It uses auxiliary haben, regular weak verb; participle gespült. Non‑reflexive and not separable. Imperative forms: spül! / spült! / Spülen Sie!. Transitive: usually takes a direct object (etwas spülen).
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.EXAMPLES
Ich habe das Geschirr gespült.
I have washed the dishes.
Die Reinigungskraft spülte das Geschirr, weil die Gäste Tassen und Teller überall liegenließen.
The cleaner washed the dishes because the guests left cups and plates everywhere.
Ich spüle das Geschirr nach dem Abendessen.
I wash the dishes after dinner.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.DETAILS_LABEL
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.MNEMONICS
Picture water being 'spooled' over dishes to rinse them clean.
Sounds like 'spool-en' — imagine spinning a dish on a spool to wash it.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.NOTES
Common household verb. 'spülen' is transitive when washing plates, but can be used intransitively with an object omitted. In some contexts it can mean 'to flush' (as in toilet).