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"Clean" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "limpiar", and "wipe" is a transitive verb which is also often translated as "limpiar". Learn more about the difference between "clean" and "wipe" below.
clean(
klin
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
3. (not dirty)
a. limpio
I gave my son a clean T-shirt after the game.Le di a mi hijo una camiseta limpia después del partido.
4. (pure)
a. limpio
The water from the stream may seem clean enough to the eye, but it is not drinkable.El agua del arroyo puede parecer limpia a simple vista, pero no es potable.
c. refrescante
The clean taste of the lemon juice brings out all the other flavors of the salad.El sabor refrescante del jugo de limón hace resaltar todos los demás sabores de la ensalada.
d. no contaminante
We should use clean energy to protect the environment.Deberíamos utilizar energía no contaminante para proteger el medioambiente.
6. (even)
a. nítido
The clean strokes are constant in the artist's work.Los trazos nítidos son una constante en la obra del artista.
b. bien definido
The boundaries must be clean to avoid any confusion.Los límites deben estar bien definidos para evitar toda confusión.
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
He avoided the prison sentence because his criminal record was clean.Evitó la pena de cárcel porque no tenía antecedentes penales.
My son is a great student and has a clean reputation.Mi hijo es gran estudiante y tiene una reputación impecable.
8. (religious)
a. puro
According to some religions, the pig is not a clean animal.Según algunas religiones, el cerdo no es un animal puro.
9. (colloquial) (not possessing or doing anything illegal)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. sin problemas
It was a clean operation and everything went as expected.Fue una operación sin problemas y todo ocurrió como estaba previsto.
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
11. (colloquial) (completely)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. por completo
She clean forgot her appointment with the doctor.Se le olvidó por completo su cita con el médico.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
a. la limpieza (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Give the bathroom a good clean with bleach.Dale una buena limpieza al baño con lejía.
wipe(
wayp
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (to clean)
a. limpiar
The worker wiped the counters with clean towels and disinfectant.El trabajador limplió los mostradores con toallas limpias y desinfectante.
b. pasar
She wiped a clean handkerchief over her son's cheek.Pasó un pañuelo limpio por la mejilla de su hijo.
c. pasar un trapo a
I already finished washing my car. I'm just wiping the windshield.Ya acabo de lavar mi carro. Solo estoy pasando un trapo al parabrisas.
d. limpiar con un trapo
She wiped the canvas before she applied paint to it.Limpió el lienzo con un trapo antes de aplicar la pintura.
2. (to remove)
a. limpiarse
Lady Macbeth tried to wipe the blood from her hands, but it would not come off.Lady Macbeth trató de limpiarse la sangre de sus manos, pero no le salía.
3. (to dry)
a. secarse
Wipe those tears from your eyes. Everything is going to be okay.Sécate las lágrimas de los ojos. Todo va a salir bien.
4. (to erase)
a. borrar
To preserve their historical image, the organization wiped any news relating to the scandal.Por conservar su imagen histórica, la organización borró cualquier noticia con relación al escándalo.
5. (computing)
a. borrar
Before you return the computer to him, can you wipe the memory?Antes de que le devuelvas la computadora, ¿puedes borrarle la memoria?
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
a. la toallita húmeda (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
We were out of toilet paper, so we had to resort to using baby wipes.Se nos acabó el papel higiénico, así que tuvimos que usar toallitas húmedas de bebé.
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
That table looks a little dusty. Could you give it a wipe?Esa mesa parece un poco llena de polvo. ¿Podrías darle una pasada con un trapo?
There are a few smudges on the mirror, so I am going to give it a wipe.Hay unas manchas en el espejo, así que voy a pasarle un trapo.
