la, las, los

Question

What is the rule? I know "los" is plural, so I understand lavar los platos, but lavar la ropa should be plural also, so why is it la and not los or las? When I do the laundry, there are many clothes to wash not just one thing.

Answer 1

Because la ropa, the laundry, is singular. Things plural or singular in one language, are not necessarily the same in another. We think of ´the people´ as plural, but for Spanish speakers, ´la gente´ is a collective noun, and as such, singular.

Think of la ropa referring to the pile or collection of clothes, not the individual pieces.

Great answer! - francobollo, Dec 4, 2012

Answer 2

Think of la ropa referring to the pile or collection of clothes, not the individual pieces.

To add to this...

I think of "ropa" as "clothing".

Because in English, we say that the clothes ARE piled up... plural.

And we say that the clothing IS piled up... singular (like it is in Spanish).

Answer 3

Other collective nouns I found on the web:

1.Alumnado, conjunto de alumnos 2.Arboleda, varios arboles 3.Bosque, conjunto de árboles 4.Ejercito, conjunto de soldados 5.Enjambre, conjunto de abejas 6.Maizal, conjunto de mazorcas 7.Tejido, conjunto de células 8.Alumbrado, conjunto de luces 9.Cardumen, conjunto de peces 10.Manada, conjunto de animales 11.Rebaño, es también un conjunto de animales 12.Archipiélago, conjunto de islas 13.Dentadura, conjunto de dientes 14.Flota, conjunto de navíos 15.Orquesta, conjunto de instrumentos 16.Biblioteca, conjunto de libros 17.Cañaveral, conjunto de cañas 18.Coro, conjunto de voces 19.Follaje, conjunto de hojas 20.Rosal, conjunto de rosas 21.Teclado, conjunto de teclas 22.Jauría, conjunto de perros 23.Publico, conjunto de espectadores 24.Gente o gentío, conjunto de personas 25.Hormiguero, conjunto de hormigas

Familia, conjunto de parientes. :) - Tosh, Dec 4, 2012