to wash hands
117
1.0
- phrasal verb
- /wɑʃ hændz/
:
lavarse las manos
- Before preparing dinner, always wash your hands to ensure cleanliness.
- wash hands with soap
- wash hands in clean water
- wash hands immediately
Stay safe, wash your hands, wear a mask, we love you.
- Stay safe, wash your hands, wear a mask, we love you.
- And stay safe, wash your hands and wear a face mask.
- Because he didn't wash his hands or wipe.
- Love people and use things and wash your hands and don't touch your face.
- When you wash your hands, you have to move your hands like that.
- I just washed my hands so they're very clean.
- Why don't the disciples wash their hands when they eat?
- When I shit, I wash my hands with soap.
- So just the standard sort of things, wash your hands, stay away from people that are sick.
- If you've ever been inside a fancy restaurant, you've probably washed your hands with Aesop soap.
Examples
-
And wash your hands before dinner.
-
I'm just going to wash my hands.
-
So just the standard sort of things, wash your hands, stay away from people that are sick.
-
Whatever you do, wash your hands.
-
Did you wash your hands?
-
One by one, the women go in to wash and dry their hands.
Fiction book (1993) -
Stay safe, wash your hands, wear a mask, we love you.
-
Don't forget to wash your hands.
-
After we eat, I go to the men's room to wash my hands.
Fiction book (1994) -
Before every meal, one must wash one's hands, and not in stagnant water.
Academic text (2001)
Synonyms
55
1.0
To clean something by rubbing it hard with a brush and water
11
1.0
To wash your hands and face to get clean
How Clean
- Specialized
3
4.5
- Specialized
2
4.9
- US
12
2.6
117
1.0
83
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to clean one's hands' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'wash' (to clean with water/soap) with 'hands' (the body parts), so a B1 learner who knows both words will infer the action. This is a straightforward verb + object composition common across languages and everyday contexts, making the MWE immediately comprehensible.
Etymology
The phrase wash hands shows the simple image of using soap and water to wash your hands after touching dirt or before eating. People used this to stop germs, so it means 'to clean one's hands to prevent illness'.