Key Facts
- Hangul: 빨래하다 (ppallaehada)
- Meaning: to do laundry
- Level: A2
- Stem: 빨래하
- Class: 하다 type
- Objects: usually none (빨래를 하다 is also possible)
- Honorific polite: 빨래하세요
What Does 빨래하다 Mean?
- to do laundry. Used for washing clothes: 주말에 빨래하다 (to do laundry at the weekend).
빨래하다 is a common everyday verb. The noun 빨래 means laundry, so 빨래를 하다 and 빨래하다 are both correct. Because the laundry is already inside the word, the verb normally appears without an object. It often comes up together with 세탁기 (washing machine).
How Do You Pronounce 빨래하다?
ㅃ at the start is a tense consonant, said with no puff of air. The two ㄹ sounds in the middle (빨 + 래) join into one long l, so the word sounds like ppal-lae-ha-da. The past 빨래했어요 is read [빨래해써요], and in the formal present 빨래합니다 [빨래함니다] the ㅂ before ㄴ is pronounced [ㅁ]. The future 빨래할 거예요 is read [빨래할꺼예요], because ㄱ after the future ending -ㄹ becomes tense. The table below lists every form.
How Do You Use 빨래하다 in a Sentence?
저는 주말에 빨래해요.
I do laundry on weekends.
주말에 (at the weekend) makes this a routine. There is no object: 빨래해요 names the whole chore.
어제 집에서 빨래했어요.
I did laundry at home yesterday.
어제 집에서 gives the time and the place: yesterday, at home. 빨래했어요 is the polite past.
빨래하면 옷이 깨끗해져요.
If you do laundry, your clothes become clean.
The conditional 빨래하면 (if you do laundry) sets up a result. 옷이 is the subject of the second clause, and 깨끗해져요 means 'become clean'.
How Does Ppallaehada Conjugation Work?
빨래하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 빨래해요 | ||
| Polite past | 빨래했어요 | ||
| Polite future | 빨래할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (guess) | 빨래하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 빨래합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 빨래했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 빨래할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 빨래해 | ||
| Casual past | 빨래했어 | ||
| Casual future | 빨래할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 빨래하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 빨래하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 빨래해서 | ||
| Conditional | 빨래하면 | ||
| Present modifier | 빨래하는 | ||
| Past modifier | 빨래한 | ||
| Future modifier | 빨래할 | ||
| Short negative | 빨래 안 해요 | ||
| Long negative | 빨래하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 빨래해요 | as written |
| Polite past | 빨래했어요 | [빨래해써요] |
| Polite future | 빨래할 거예요 | [빨래할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 빨래하겠어요 | [빨래하게써요] |
| Formal present | 빨래합니다 | [빨래함니다] |
| Formal past | 빨래했습니다 | [빨래핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 빨래할 것입니다 | [빨래할꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 빨래해 | as written |
| Casual past | 빨래했어 | [빨래해써] |
| Casual future | 빨래할 거야 | [빨래할꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 빨래하고 싶어요 | [빨래하고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 빨래하세요 | as written |
| Because / and then | 빨래해서 | as written |
| Conditional | 빨래하면 | as written |
| Present modifier | 빨래하는 | as written |
| Past modifier | 빨래한 | as written |
| Future modifier | 빨래할 | as written |
| Short negative | 빨래 안 해요 | as written |
| Long negative | 빨래하지 않아요 | [빨래하지 아나요] |
Is 빨래하다 Regular or Irregular?
빨래하다 is a 하다 word built on the noun 빨래. Like every 하다 verb, it changes 하 to 해 before any 아/어 ending: 빨래해요, 빨래했어요, 빨래해서. The pattern is described on the 하다 to 해요 page. The negative can split the noun from the verb: the table shows 빨래 안 해요, and the long form 빨래하지 않아요 is also listed. The page on negating 하다 verbs explains the placement.
What Mistake Do Learners Make with 빨래하다?
Wrong: ✗ 옷을 씻어요 (when you mean 'I wash my clothes')
Correct: ✓ 빨래해요, or 옷을 빨아요
Why: A learner who knows 씻다 as 'wash' tries it for clothes, but 씻다 is for your body and for things like dishes. Clothes are washed with 빨래하다, which needs no object, or with 빨다, which takes the clothes as its object.
How Is 빨래하다 Different from Similar Words?
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 씻다 | 씻다 is the verb for washing yourself or dishes. Clothes go through 빨래하다 or 빨다, so 씻다 does not fit a sentence about laundry. |
| 청소하다 | 청소하다 is to clean a room. 빨래하다 is only for clothes, so the two chores are always separate verbs. |
Sharing the Weekend Laundry
Two roommates are deciding who will use the washing machine. One asks about completed laundry, and the other offers a plan. The final line gives the other roommate a different day to use the machine.
Jisu
오늘 빨래했어요?
Oneul ppallaehaesseoyo?
Have you done laundry today?
Alex
아니요. 오후에 빨래할 거예요.
Aniyo. Ohue ppallaehal geoyeyo.
No. I’m going to do laundry this afternoon.
Jisu
그럼 저는 내일 빨래해요.
Geureom jeoneun naeil ppallaehaeyo.
Then I’ll do laundry tomorrow.
오후에 gives the planned time, while 내일 means “tomorrow”. The polite present in the last line describes a near-future arrangement, with 내일 making the time clear. It does not claim that the laundry has already been washed.
Washing, Hanging and Folding Are Separate Steps
빨래를 하다 names doing laundry. 빨래를 널다 means hanging the washed items out to dry. 널다 describes spreading or hanging them up; washing is not part of that verb’s meaning. Someone can finish the washing and still have laundry waiting to be hung.
빨래를 개다 means folding laundry. The object 빨래 can therefore refer to the clothes or linens being handled, not just the chore in the abstract. A conversation about whose turn it is to fold may use the same noun as a conversation about filling the machine.
손빨래 is handwashing laundry. The 손, “hand”, tells you the method. 빨래하다 itself does not require a machine, even though a washing machine is common in household conversations. Washing towels or bedsheets also counts as 빨래; the word is not limited to items you wear.
Where Will You See Laundry Vocabulary?
At home, 빨래하다 fits chore plans, apologies about an unfinished task and questions about whose clothes are in the machine. The verb tells you the washing activity, while time words such as 오늘 or 주말에 tell you whether the speaker means one load or a routine.
At a self-service laundry, look for 세탁 and 건조. 세탁 labels washing and 건조 labels drying. A machine may separate these operations, so finishing the wash cycle does not necessarily mean that everything is dry and ready to wear.
On clothing labels, 세탁 also appears in care instructions. It belongs to the same practical topic as everyday 빨래, but it is common in service names and written instructions. Recognizing both words helps connect a roommate’s chore talk with the wording on an appliance or garment.
Spacing in the Positive and Negative
빨래하다 is written as one verb. 빨래를 하다 is a noun with its object particle followed by 하다, so it has a space. Both name the chore; the second version makes the noun structure visible.
The table’s negative 빨래 안 해요 puts 안 immediately before 해요. Keep the spaces around 안. In 빨래하지 않아요, 지 attaches to the complete verb and 않아요 stays separate. Neither negative needs an extra 옷을 to be a complete answer about laundry.
For a specific garment, 빨다 is useful because it takes the item as its object. The existing correction 옷을 빨아요 means washing clothes. 빨래하다 instead lets you discuss the chore without listing shirts, socks and towels one by one.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 세탁기 | washing machine | The appliance used for the washing stage. |
| 세제 | detergent | The cleaning product added to the wash. |
| 건조기 | dryer | The appliance for drying after washing. |
| 빨래바구니 | laundry basket | A place to collect or carry laundry. |
The cleaning and laundry lesson teaches these supplies and the other steps in the chore.
Mini Drill: Plan the Laundry
- Give the polite past of 빨래하다.
- Give the planned future with 거예요.
- Write the short negative from the table with its spaces.
- Choose the verb for a specific shirt: 빨다 or 씻다?
Show drill answers
- 빨래했어요.
- 빨래할 거예요.
- 빨래 안 해요.
- 빨다. 씻다 is not the usual verb for washing clothes.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 빨래하다 require using a machine?
- What does 빨래를 개다 mean?
- Which machine dries the laundry: 세탁기 or 건조기?
Show answers
- No. Handwashing laundry also counts.
- To fold laundry.
- 건조기. 세탁기 is the washing machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Say 빨래를 하다?
Yes. 빨래 is the noun for laundry, so 빨래를 하다 and 빨래하다 are both correct and mean the same thing.
Why Is 옷을 씻어요 Wrong?
씻다 is for washing your body or things like dishes. Clothes are washed with 빨다 (옷을 빨아요) or 빨래하다 (빨래해요).
How Do I Make 빨래하다 Negative?
Put 안 between the noun and 하다: 빨래 안 해요 (I don't do the laundry). The long form is 빨래하지 않아요.
Does 빨래하다 Need an Object?
Usually not. The laundry is already inside the word, so 저는 주말에 빨래해요 (I do laundry at the weekend) is a complete sentence.
Which Words Are Related to 빨래하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 청소하다 for cleaning rooms, 씻다 for washing, and 닦다 for wiping. 입다 follows when the clean clothes go on. The Korean verb conjugator checks any form of 빨래하다; the whole Korean verb dictionary lists the other entries, and the class rule is on the 하다 to 해요 page.