Spanish Phrase
¿Lavaste los platos?
Meaning
The sentence asks whether someone has washed the dishes. It refers to a specific, completed action in the recent past and is typically used in a household or kitchen context.
When to use
Use this question when you want to confirm that a chore – washing the dishes – has already been done, especially with friends, family, or anyone you address informally (tú).
✦Grammar Breakdown
Lavastelosplatos
Preterite (pretérito perfecto simple)
‘Lavaste’ is the preterite form of the verb ‘lavar’ for the second‑person singular (tú), used to talk about a completed action in the past.
Definite article ‘los’
‘Los’ is the masculine plural definite article that agrees with the noun ‘platos’.
Noun gender and number
‘Platos’ is a masculine plural noun meaning ‘dishes/plates’; the article and adjective must match in gender and number.
Question marks
Spanish uses an opening (¿) and closing (?) question mark for all interrogative sentences.
🗨In Conversation
¿Lavaste los platos?
Did you wash the dishes?
Sí, los lavé hace un momento.
Yes, I washed them a moment ago.
✕Common Mistakes
¿Lavas los platos?
‘Lavas’ is present tense; the sentence asks about a completed past action, so use the preterite ‘lavaste’.
¿Lavaste las platos?
‘Platos’ is masculine; the correct article is ‘los’, not ‘las’.
¿Lavó los platos?
‘Lavó’ is the third‑person singular (or formal ‘usted’) form; with informal ‘tú’ you need ‘lavaste’.
↔Alternatives
¿Has lavado los platos?
Have you washed the dishes?
¿Te encargaste de lavar los platos?
Did you take care of washing the dishes?
¿Lavó usted los platos?
Did you (formal) wash the dishes?
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking homes, asking about chores is a normal part of daily conversation. Use the informal ‘tú’ form (lavaste) with family, roommates, or close friends. In a more formal setting or with strangers, switch to the formal ‘usted’ form: ‘¿Lavó usted los platos?’