to wash a car
1
1.0
- phrasal verb
:
lavar un coche
- I need to wash my car this weekend to remove the dirt.
Examples
-
Have you washed a car before?
-
See how you wash a car?
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It's easy to wash a car.
-
Can you wash a car?
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I have never washed a car before.
Fiction book (1995) -
She later appears in a bikini to wash a car, although this has nothing to do with the story being told.
Academic text (2012) -
After the storm, we decided to wash the car to make it look clean again.
-
She offered to wash the car while he mowed the lawn.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To remove dirt and stains
5
2.8
Wash something with your hands instead of in a machine
1
3.9
To clean a surface with a strong stream of water to remove dirt
To clean something using water to remove dirt or chemicals
To clean a surface using a strong spray of water to remove dirt or old paint
How Clean
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to clean the outside surface of an automobile' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'wash' (to clean with water/soap) with 'car' (a motor vehicle); the indefinite article 'a' does not affect composition. This simple verb + object pattern is basic and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily understand it.
Etymology
Wash a car paints a simple picture of someone with a bucket and sponge using water and soap to scrub a car until it is clean and shiny. So, wash means 'clean with water' and car means 'the vehicle', which is why wash a car means 'to clean the outside surface of a car'.