Chores Vocabulary in German

If you want to talk about cleaning, tidying, laundry, or “whose turn is it to take out the trash,” German has plenty of everyday words for the job. And yes, German speakers talk about chores all the time, because dust does not respect grammar.

This guide gives you practical Chores Vocabulary in German for real life: at home, in shared apartments, with family, and in everyday routines. You will learn the most useful nouns, verbs, and phrases, plus pronunciation help and example sentences you can actually use.

For a bigger picture of German learning, you can also browse the main German learning hub and compare related home-language topics like bathroom vocabulary in German.

One tiny cultural note: in Germany, especially in shared flats, chores can get organized with almost suspicious levels of order. The trash schedule may be more serious than some office meetings.

Table of Contents

Everyday Chores Words You Will Hear Often

Here are the core words first. These are the ones that show up in real conversations, reminders, house rules, and polite complaints from people staring at an unwashed sink.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
die Hausarbeit	HOWS-ar-bite	housework, chores	Ich mache heute die Hausarbeit.	I’m doing the housework today.	Plural is often used for “chores” in English-like contexts, but German often uses the singular collective.
aufräumen	OWF-roy-mən	to tidy up	Kannst du bitte dein Zimmer aufräumen?	Can you please tidy your room?	Separable verb: auf-räumen.
putzen	PUT-tsen	to clean, to scrub	Ich putze die Küche jeden Samstag.	I clean the kitchen every Saturday.	Very common for general cleaning.
saubermachen	SOW-ber-mah-chen	to clean up	Wir müssen nach dem Essen saubermachen.	We have to clean up after eating.	Very everyday and spoken. Slightly less “formal” than putzen.
waschen	VAH-shen	to wash	Ich wasche gerade das Geschirr.	I’m washing the dishes right now.	Can refer to washing clothes, dishes, hands, etc.
abwaschen	AP-vah-shen	to wash the dishes	Wer wäscht heute ab?	Who is washing the dishes today?	Very useful in daily life. Also separable: ab-waschen.
spülen	SHPUE-lən	to rinse, to do the dishes	Ich spüle erst das Glas und dann den Teller.	I rinse the glass first and then the plate.	In some contexts it means “to wash dishes,” especially in the kitchen.
Staubsaugen	SHTOWP-zow-gən	to vacuum	Am Wochenende sauge ich die Wohnung staub.	On the weekend I vacuum the apartment.	More common in spoken German as staubsaugen or simply saugen.
saugen	ZOW-gən	to vacuum, to suck	Ich sauge schnell den Teppich.	I quickly vacuum the carpet.	Context matters. Around the house, it usually means vacuuming.
wischen	VISH-en	to wipe, to mop	Kannst du bitte den Boden wischen?	Can you please mop the floor?	Useful for floors, counters, and surfaces.
kehren	KAY-ren	to sweep	Ich kehre die Terrasse.	I sweep the terrace.	Common with floors, leaves, outdoor areas.
die Wäsche	VESH-uh	laundry	Die Wäsche ist noch nicht trocken.	The laundry is not dry yet.	Wäsche is a singular mass noun here.

Cleaning, Tidying, And Laundry Phrases

These are the phrases you will hear in homes, hotels, shared apartments, and family life. If you can use these comfortably, you are already in useful German territory.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
den Müll rausbringen	den miül ROWS-bring-en	to take out the trash	Kannst du den Müll rausbringen?	Can you take out the trash?	Extremely common. rausbringen = take outside.
den Boden wischen	den BOH-den VISH-en	to mop the floor	Ich wische heute den Boden.	I’m mopping the floor today.	Boden means floor, ground.
die Küche putzen	dee KUE-che PUT-tsen	to clean the kitchen	Wir putzen die Küche nach dem Kochen.	We clean the kitchen after cooking.	Good everyday collocation.
das Bad putzen	das baht PUT-tsen	to clean the bathroom	Ich putze heute das Bad.	I’m cleaning the bathroom today.	Yes, Bad is short and very common.
das Geschirr spülen	das guh-SHIR SHPUE-lən	to wash the dishes	Nach dem Abendessen spüle ich das Geschirr.	After dinner I wash the dishes.	Geschirr = dishes, crockery.
die Wäsche waschen	dee VESH-uh VAH-shen	to do the laundry	Am Sonntag wasche ich die Wäsche.	On Sunday I do the laundry.	Very useful household phrase.
die Wäsche aufhängen	dee VESH-uh OWF-hen-gən	to hang up the laundry	Ich hänge die Wäsche auf den Balkon.	I hang the laundry on the balcony.	Common in Europe. Dryers are not always the first choice.
die Wäsche zusammenlegen	dee VESH-uh tsoo-ZAM-en-lay-gən	to fold the laundry	Kannst du die Wäsche zusammenlegen?	Can you fold the laundry?	Separable verb-like feel, but here it is a normal phrase.
staubsaugen	SHTOWP-zow-gən	to vacuum	Ich muss noch staubsaugen.	I still have to vacuum.	More direct and common than “vacuum clean” in English style.
aufräumen	OWF-roy-mən	to tidy up	Räum bitte dein Zeug auf.	Please tidy up your stuff.	Zeug is informal: stuff, things.
die Fenster putzen	dee FEN-ster PUT-tsen	to clean the windows	Im Frühling putzen viele Leute die Fenster.	In spring many people clean the windows.	Spring cleaning is a real thing, apparently.
den Tisch abwischen	den tish AP-vish-en	to wipe the table	Nach dem Essen wische ich den Tisch ab.	After eating I wipe the table.	Notice the separable verb: abwischen.

Useful Verbs For Chores

German often prefers very specific verbs where English uses one general “do” or “clean.” That is both helpful and mildly annoying. Classic German behavior.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
aufräumen	OWF-roy-mən	to tidy up	Ich räume mein Zimmer auf.	I’m tidying my room.	Present tense: ich räume … auf.
putzen	PUT-tsen	to clean	Sie putzt die Wohnung jeden Freitag.	She cleans the apartment every Friday.	Useful for most cleaning tasks.
waschen	VAH-shen	to wash	Wir waschen die Tassen von Hand.	We wash the cups by hand.	Can also mean “wash oneself” in other contexts.
abwaschen	AP-vah-shen	to wash up the dishes	Ich wasche schnell ab.	I quickly do the dishes.	The verb can be separated: ich wasche … ab.
spülen	SHPUE-lən	to rinse / do the dishes	Kannst du den Topf spülen?	Can you rinse the pot?	Often used for kitchen work.
saugen	ZOW-gən	to vacuum	Ich sauge den Teppich.	I vacuum the carpet.	In speech, this is very normal.
wischen	VISH-en	to wipe, mop	Er wischt den Boden.	He mops the floor.	Also good for surfaces and spills.
kehren	KAY-ren	to sweep	Sie kehrt den Hof.	She sweeps the yard.	Useful outdoors too.
lüften	LUEF-ten	to air out, ventilate	Ich lüfte jeden Morgen das Schlafzimmer.	I air out the bedroom every morning.	Very German household habit. Open those windows.
ordnen	ORT-nen	to organize, arrange	Ich ordne die Bücher im Regal.	I organize the books on the shelf.	A bit more “organize” than “tidy.”
sortieren	zor-TEE-ren	to sort	Wir sortieren die Wäsche nach Farben.	We sort the laundry by color.	Very practical for clothes, recycling, papers.
wegbringen	VEHK-bring-en	to take away, remove	Kannst du den alten Karton wegbringen?	Can you take away the old box?	Separable verb: wegbringen.

Chores Vocabulary By Room

Rooms help you group the words in your head, which is much easier than memorizing a random pile of cleaning verbs like some kind of vocabulary raccoon.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
die Küche	DEE KUE-che	kitchen	In der Küche steht der Müll.	The trash is in the kitchen.	die kitchen.
das Bad	das baht	bathroom	Ich putze das Bad am Samstag.	I clean the bathroom on Saturday.	Short and common.
das Wohnzimmer	VONTS-mish-er	living room	Im Wohnzimmer liegen noch Kissen auf dem Sofa.	There are still cushions on the sofa in the living room.	Compound noun: living + room.
das Schlafzimmer	SHLAFS-mish-er	bedroom	Ich lüfte das Schlafzimmer jeden Morgen.	I air out the bedroom every morning.	Very common in home vocabulary.
der Flur	fur	hallway	Bitte stell deine Schuhe in den Flur.	Please put your shoes in the hallway.	Useful in apartments and houses.
der Balkon	bal-KON	balcony	Ich hänge die Wäsche auf den Balkon.	I hang the laundry on the balcony.	Common place for drying laundry.
der Keller	KEL-er	basement	Die Kisten stehen im Keller.	The boxes are in the basement.	Good for storage and cleaning tasks.
der Dachboden	DAKH-boh-den	attic	Auf dem Dachboden ist es staubig.	It is dusty in the attic.	Often associated with old boxes and forgotten things.

Chores In Shared Flats And Family Life

If you live with other people, these phrases become very handy. Housework vocabulary is not glamorous, but neither is arguing about the dishwasher.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
der Putzplan	putz-PLAHN	cleaning rota, cleaning schedule	Unser Putzplan hängt an der Tür.	Our cleaning schedule is hanging on the door.	Very common in shared flats.
die Aufgabe	OWF-gah-buh	task, duty	Jede Person hat eine Aufgabe.	Each person has one task.	Plural: die Aufgaben.
dran sein	dran zine	to be next, to be one’s turn	Heute bin ich mit dem Abwasch dran.	Today it’s my turn for the dishes.	Very common spoken phrase.
übernehmen	UE-ber-NAY-men	to take over, take on	Ich übernehme das Putzen heute.	I’ll take over the cleaning today.	Useful for responsibility and chores.
erledigen	er-LAY-di-gən	to take care of, get done	Ich muss noch ein paar Sachen erledigen.	I still have to take care of a few things.	Great for chores, errands, and tasks.
helfen	HEL-fen	to help	Kannst du mir beim Aufräumen helfen?	Can you help me tidy up?	Often followed by bei + dative: beim Aufräumen.
mithelfen	MIT-hel-fen	to help out	Die Kinder helfen beim Tischdecken mit.	The children help out with setting the table.	Separable feel: helfen … mit in some usages.
aufpassen	OWF-pas-sen	to watch, look after	Kannst du kurz auf die Kinder aufpassen?	Can you watch the children for a moment?	Not a chore word exactly, but very useful in home life.

Practical Phrases For Asking And Answering

These are the short, natural phrases that make chores conversation sound real instead of textbook-polished and awkward. Nobody needs that extra sparkle.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
Kannst du …?	kanst doo	Can you …?	Kannst du den Tisch abwischen?	Can you wipe the table?	Very common informal question.
Könntest du bitte …?	KURN-tesht doo BIT-tuh	Could you please …?	Könntest du bitte den Müll rausbringen?	Could you please take out the trash?	Polite and useful.
Ich muss noch …	ikh muss nokh	I still have to …	Ich muss noch die Wäsche aufhängen.	I still have to hang up the laundry.	Very natural for unfinished chores.
Ich bin gleich fertig.	ikh bin glykh FERT-ikh	I’ll be done soon.	Ich bin gleich fertig mit dem Putzen.	I’ll be done with cleaning soon.	Great for replying in the middle of a task.
Ich mache es später.	ikh MAH-khuh es SHPAY-ter	I’ll do it later.	Ich mache es später, versprochen.	I’ll do it later, promised.	Useful, but be careful: it may sound suspiciously like procrastination.
Wer ist dran?	ver ist dran	Whose turn is it?	Wer ist heute mit dem Kochen dran?	Whose turn is it to cook today?	Great for shared chores.
Es ist meine Aufgabe.	es ist MY-nuh OWF-gah-buh	It is my task.	Das Aufräumen ist meine Aufgabe.	Tidying up is my task.	Helpful for responsibility language.
Das mache ich schon.	das MAH-khuh ikh shohn	I’m already doing it.	Das mache ich schon, keine Sorge.	I’m already doing it, don’t worry.	Natural and reassuring.

Grammar Notes That Matter For Chores Words

Chore vocabulary is a great place to practice German grammar because the words are useful and the patterns repeat all the time. Sneaky learning, the best kind.

Pattern	Meaning	German Example	English Translation	Learner Note
Verb + object	Many chore verbs take a direct object.	Ich putze die Küche.	I clean the kitchen.	die Küche is the thing being cleaned.
Separable verb	Part of the verb moves to the end in main clauses.	Ich räume mein Zimmer auf.	I tidy my room.	Say the prefix and verb apart in normal sentences.
Modal verb	Use müssen, können, sollen for chores.	Ich muss den Müll rausbringen.	I have to take out the trash.	Modal verbs are very common in chores talk.
Time expression + verb	German often puts the time first.	Heute putze ich das Bad.	Today I clean the bathroom.	Verb stays in second position.
Polite request	Use bitte to sound friendly.	Kannst du bitte helfen?	Can you please help?	Simple and effective.

Chores words also help with cases. For example, den Müll uses the accusative because it is the thing you take out. The same happens in die Wäsche waschen and den Boden wischen. German likes to keep track of what gets acted on. Very organized, obviously.

Quick Case And Article Help

If articles still feel slippery, this mini list should help. Noun gender matters, and German will absolutely notice if you ignore it.

Noun	Article	Plural	Example	Note
die Wäsche	die	usually no plural in everyday use	Die Wäsche ist fertig.	Laundry is done.
der Müll	der	die Mülle? no, usually der Müll as mass noun	Der Müll muss raus.	Trash must go out.
das Bad	das	die Bäder	Das Bad ist sauber.	The bathroom is clean.
die Küche	die	die Küchen	Die Küche ist klein.	The kitchen is small.
der Boden	der	die Böden	Der Boden ist nass.	The floor is wet.
das Fenster	das	die Fenster	Das Fenster ist offen.	The window is open.

Germany, Austria, And Switzerland: Small Differences

Most of the vocabulary in this guide works across standard German in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Still, there are a few local habits worth knowing so you do not sound confused when someone uses a slightly different word.

Topic	Germany	Austria	Switzerland	Learner Note
Trash	der Müll	der Müll	der Abfall is also very common	All are understandable, but Switzerland often prefers Abfall in formal everyday use.
Potato / food cleanup phrases	standard German phrases	standard German phrases	standard German phrases	For chores, the differences are usually minor. Context matters more than accent drama.
Laundry	die Wäsche	die Wäsche	die Wäsche	Very stable across regions.
Bathroom	das Bad	das Bad	das Bad	Same short word, same usefulness.

Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes

These are the kinds of errors English-speaking learners make most often with chores vocabulary. Good news: the fixes are simple.

Mistake: Ich putze auf. Fix: Ich räume auf.
Use aufräumen for tidying, not putzen.
Mistake: Ich mache den Müll raus. Fix: Ich bringe den Müll raus.
rausbringen is the natural verb for taking out trash.
Mistake: Ich wasche die Küche. Fix: Ich putze die Küche.
waschen is for washing things like dishes, clothes, or hands. putzen is for cleaning rooms and surfaces.
Mistake: Ich sauge den Boden. Fix: Ich sauge den Teppich. or Ich sauge die Wohnung.
saugen works best when vacuuming a carpet or a whole room/apartment.
Mistake: Forgetting separable verb word order. Fix: Ich räume das Zimmer auf.
The prefix goes to the end in normal statements.
Mistake: Using the wrong article. Fix: der Müll, die Küche, das Bad
Learn the noun with its article from the start. German enjoys making this non-optional.

Mini Practice

Try these quick exercises. Short, practical, and far less painful than a real Saturday cleaning schedule.

Task	Prompt	Possible Answer	English Translation
Fill in the blank	Ich muss noch den ___ rausbringen.	Müll	I still have to take out the trash.
Choose the verb	Ich ___ die Küche.	putze	I clean the kitchen.
Separable verb	Räume bitte dein Zimmer ___.	auf	Please tidy your room up.
Translate	Can you please vacuum the living room?	Kannst du bitte das Wohnzimmer staubsaugen?	Can you please vacuum the living room?
Rewrite politely	Bring out the trash.	Kannst du bitte den Müll rausbringen?	Can you please take out the trash?

Quick challenge: say these out loud once without pausing too much: aufräumen, abwaschen, rausbringen, staubsaugen, zusammenlegen. German compound and separable verbs love to test your mouth just a little bit. Rude, but fair.

For pronunciation reference and more dictionary-style detail, Duden is a solid, boring, excellent place to check standard German forms.

Yak Wisdom: If you can say “Kannst du bitte den Müll rausbringen?” confidently, you are not just learning German — you are becoming useful at home. Which, honestly, is a superpower.

Yak Takeaway

Chores Vocabulary in German is mostly about practical verbs: putzen, aufräumen, abwaschen, staubsaugen, and rausbringen. Learn them with their articles, use them in short everyday sentences, and remember the separable verbs. Then German housework talk stops feeling like a mystery and starts sounding like real life.