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"Rub" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "frotar", and "scrub" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "fregar". Learn more about the difference between "rub" and "scrub" below.
rub(
ruhb
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. frotar
He was rubbing his hands together in excitement for dinner.Se frotaba las manos con ganas para la cena.
b. restregar
Rubbing your chopsticks together is an insult to the host in Japan.Restregar los palillos es un insulto al anfitrión en Japón.
c. friccionar
Don't rub your scalp with the towel to dry it.No te fricciones el cuero cabelludo con la toalla para secarlo.
d. refregar
Jake woke up, rubbed his eyes and got out of bed.Jake se despertó, se refregó los ojos y se levantó de la cama.
e. masajear (to pass over with the hands)
The masseuse rubbed my back and my legs.La masajista me masajeó la espalda y las piernas.
2. (culinary)
a. mezclar
Rub the spices into the meat and let it marinate for an hour.Mezcla las especias con la carne y déjala marinar por una hora.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. rozar
I get nervous when the bus is packed and people rub against me.Me pongo nervioso cuando el autobús está lleno y la gente me roza.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
I'm giving my knee a rub because I hit it on the desk.Me estoy frotando la rodilla porque me pegué contra el escritorio.
I'm really stressed. Can you give me a back rub?Estoy muy estresado. ¿Puedes darme un masaje de espalda?
5. (culinary)
a. el adobo (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
If you tenderize the meat before you add the rub, it will taste better.Si ablandas la carne antes de añadir el adobo, estará más rica.
6. (difficulty)
a. el problema (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The rub is that we don't have money for a plane ticket.El problema es que no tenemos dinero para viajar en avión.
scrub(
skruhb
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (to scour)
2. (to cancel)
a. cancelar
An unexpected storm is approaching, so we'll have to scrub the game.Una tormenta inesperada se aproxima, así que tendremos que cancelar el partido.
b. borrar
Since style knows no size, the store scrubbed "plus size" from its vocabulary.Como el estilo no conoce talla, la tienda borró "talla extra" de su vocabulario.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
3. (botany)
a. los matorrales (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Make sure to check for ticks after taking a walk through the scrub.Asegúrate de revisar que no tengas garrapatas después de caminar por los matorrales.
a. el reserva (M), la reserva (F)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(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).
Our team has so much talent that there honestly isn't anyone I'd call a scrub.Nuestro equipo tiene tanto talento que honestamente no hay nadie a quien pueda considerar reserva.
scrubs
A plural noun indicates that there is more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
5. (medicine)
a. el uniforme (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The doctor washed her hands and put her surgical scrubs on before going into surgery.La doctora se lavó las manos y se puso el uniforme quirúrgico antes de entrar al quirófano.
b. el pijama sanitario (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
I've already bought my scrubs for my hospital practicum.Ya me he comprado mi pijama sanitario para las prácticas en el hospital.
c. el ambo (M) (Southern Cone)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The nurse took off his scrubs before leaving the hospital.El enfermero se quitó el ambo antes de salir del hospital.
