toilet based translation

Question

Just to lower the tone a bit what is the usual verb for to use for wiping ones rear end? -limpiar, pásale un papél higiénico?
For example how would you say to a child: Have you wiped your bottom properly?
¿Te has limpiado el trasero bien'

Answer 1

Natasha said:

Please tell me the age-appropriate way to say to my child, "Do you need to go potty'" My attempt: ¿Necesitas ir al baño?

That sounds like a very appropriate way to say it (and a common one too). As I recently said, Spanish has replaced the word toilet no less than 12 times because speakers were trying to be too explicit about their business in that room, and it is only a matter of time before speakers feel that the previous euphemism needs to be replaced with a "better" euphemism. "El baño" and "el servicio" are common polite alternatives for it, and "baño", probably because it is semantically the furthest away from the real point, is the most "elegant" one (even on of my Spanish teachers in primary school told me to use "baño").

A friend of mine who can speak several languages, and has a degree in Linguistics, told me that Tagalog is one of the few languages (he speaks it) where you can say "I am going to sh''", without making anyone uncomfortable, or offending anyone's sensitivity; it is a well known human physiological necessity, and they see no point in altering reality with nice words. Interesting. This certainly reinforces the point that you cannot separate language from culture, and you cannot really speak a language correctly if you don't understand their culture.

Answer 2

I don't have anything educational to add to this, I just wanted to say it made me laugh. Thanks everyone!

Answer 3

Toilet plunger=la sopapa (Argentina)

Answer 4

Sí, me lo diría. Me gusta mucho porque se dice que las nalgas son una colita como un perro. Al lado, yo diría:

¿Has limpiado su bompo? - Have u cleaned ur bum(a childish word lol)

Answer 5

Thanks everyone.

Answer 6

lazarus1907 said:

I just remembered that one of my maths teachers in primary school used to say: "Te voy a dar una patada donde la espalda pierde su digno nombre".
Por lo general no me gustan mucho los eufemismos pero cuando tiene tanta gracia como ese no puedo mas que aplaudirlo.

Answer 7

Since tad has posted this thread . . .

Please tell me the age-appropriate way to say to my child, "Do you need to go potty'" My attempt: ¿Necesitas ir al baño'

Answer 8

I just remembered that one of my maths teachers in primary school used to say:

"Te voy a dar una patada donde la espalda pierde su digno nombre".

He never did, of course.

Answer 9

AiFoS said:

Aquí en México se le diría a un niño: "¿Te limpiaste bien la colita'"

hmmmm, en España por colita se entiende el pene.

Answer 10

samdie said:

Google MT gives "¿Ha borrado de su parte inferior debidamente". I mention it, not because I think it's a good translation, but because it conjures up such an interesting mental picture.

omg...this is great. jeje

I wonder where this "de" comes into that sentence.

"¿Ha borrado su parte inferior debidamente". Have you eliminated your lower part adequately?

jejeje

Limpiarse...is the word to use.

¿Te has limpiado bien?
If talking to children we often use: culete

Answer 11

samdie said:

Google MT gives "¿Ha borrado de su parte inferior debidamente". I mention it, not because I think it's a good translation, but because it conjures up such an interesting mental picture.

Hmmm, I can imagine that that could have a number of interpretations...

Answer 12

Google MT gives "¿Ha borrado de su parte inferior debidamente". I mention it, not because I think it's a good translation, but because it conjures up such an interesting mental picture.

Answer 13

Eddy said:

Sounds good to me since to wipe one's bottom is limpiarse el trasero.

Cheers.

Answer 14

Sounds good to me since to wipe one's bottom is limpiarse el trasero.