Italian · Home, Clothes & Daily Life

"Laundry" in Italian: bucato

il bucato

Say it: boo-KAH-tohmasculine · il bucatonoun/buˈka.to/

Laundry in Italian is il bucato (boo-KAH-toh), masculine. Fare il bucato means to do the laundry. La lavatrice is the washing machine—different page.

Sunday chore

Oggi faccio il bucato.
Today I'm doing the laundry.
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How to pronounce bucato

Say it

boo-KAH-toh

/buˈka.to/

Bucato: boo-KAH-toh. Stress KAH. Soft b.

"Laundry" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
il bucatothe laundry

Clothes to wash or washed.

fare il bucatoto do the laundry

Chore phrase.

stendere il bucatoto hang the laundry

Drying.

bucato pulitoclean laundry

Result.

How to use bucato in real life

  1. 1Sunday chore

    Oggi faccio il bucato.

    Today I'm doing the laundry.

    Fare il bucato.

  2. 2Balcony

    Il bucato si asciuga al sole.

    The laundry dries in the sun.

    Il bucato subject.

  3. 3Roommate note

    Non mescolare il bucato bianco col scuro.

    Don't mix the white laundry with darks.

    Il bucato + color.

Mistakes English speakers make with bucato

Incorrect: La bucato è pronto.

Correct: Il bucato è pronto.

Masculine: il bucato.

Incorrect: Metto il bucato (meaning the machine)

Correct: Metto i panni in lavatrice. / Faccio il bucato.

Lavatrice is the machine; bucato is the laundry.

Good to know

Apartment balconies often show il bucato hanging to dry—shared courtyards make timing polite. Laundromats exist in cities, but fare il bucato at home stays the default. Don't confuse with la lavatrice.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Sharing the dryer schedule

  1. ChatPal

    Hai già fatto il bucato?

    Have you already done the laundry?

  2. You

    Sì—il bucato è ancora umido.

    Yes—the laundry is still damp.

  3. ChatPal

    Allora stendiamo il bucato sul balcone.

    Then let's hang the laundry on the balcony.

  4. You

    Ok, porto le mollette.

    Ok, I'll bring the clothespins.

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"Laundry" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Laundry" in Italian

Laundry?

Il bucato.

Do the laundry?

Fare il bucato.

Washing machine?

La lavatrice (other page).

Hang laundry?

Stendere il bucato.

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