German · Everyday Verbs
"to clean" in German: putzen
putzen
Note: also: sauber machen
To clean in German is putzen. Say Ich putze die Küche and Putzt du die Fenster?. Past participle is geputzt. Sauber machen is a near synonym.
Saturday chores
Ich putze heute das Bad.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce putzen
Say it
POOT-sen
/ˈpʊtsn̩/
POOT-sen. Short u; z like ts.
"to clean" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| putzen | to clean / to polish Rooms, shoes, teeth (Zähne putzen). | Rooms, shoes, teeth (Zähne putzen). |
| ich putze / du putzt | I/you clean Present. | Present. |
| geputzt | cleaned Past participle. | Past participle. |
| sauber machen | to make clean Alternative phrase. | Alternative phrase. |
How to use putzen in real life
- 1Saturday chores
Ich putze heute das Bad.
I'm cleaning the bathroom today.
Ich putze.
- 2Roommate ask
Putzt du die Küche mit?
Are you cleaning the kitchen too?
Putzt.
- 3Done
Die Fenster sind schon geputzt.
The windows are already cleaned.
Geputzt.
Mistakes English speakers make with putzen
Incorrect: Ich mache sauber die Küche. (only)
Correct: Ich putze die Küche. / Ich mache die Küche sauber.
If you want the headword, use putzen; sauber machen needs that word order.
Incorrect: Ich habe die Küche putzt.
Correct: Ich habe die Küche geputzt.
Past participle is geputzt.
Good to know
Zähne putzen is brush your teeth — same verb. Flat shares often rotate who putzt kitchen and bath each week.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Before guests arrive
ChatPal
Putzt du noch schnell das Bad?
Will you quickly clean the bathroom?
You
Ja, ich putze es jetzt.
Yes, I'll clean it now.
ChatPal
Danke. Ich putze den Tisch.
Thanks. I'll wipe/clean the table.
You
Super, dann schaffen wir es.
Great, then we'll make it.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to clean" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to clean" in German
Conjugation?
Ich putze, du putzt, er putzt, wir putzen…
Past participle?
Geputzt.
Brush teeth?
Zähne putzen.
Sauber machen?
Similar meaning; putzen is the headword verb.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
