wegspülen
wash away
Etwas mit Wasser oder einer anderen Flüssigkeit fortbringen oder entfernen.
Definition & meaning
The verb wegspülen means to wash away or flush away. It describes the process where a liquid, usually water, carries an object or a substance away from its original location.
There are two primary ways this word is used:
- Physical removal: This refers to literal water flow removing something. For example, a river washing away a riverbank or a person flushing something down the sink.
- Figurative removal: This is used to describe the clearing of abstract things like feelings, worries, or memories, as if a wave of relief or a new experience has cleansed them away.
Grammar & Word origin
The word is a separable verb (trennbares Verb). In a standard main clause, the prefix weg- moves to the end of the sentence. Its principal parts are: spült weg (present), spülte weg (simple past), and hat weggespült (present perfect).
It is composed of two German elements:
- weg: An adverb meaning "away" or "gone."
- spülen: A verb meaning "to rinse," "to flush," or "to wash."
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms:
- fortspülen (to wash away/carry off)
- wegschwemmen (often used for larger volumes of water, like a flood)
- wegwaschen (to wash off or away)
- abspülen (to rinse off)
Antonyms:
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Examples
Der Regen spült das Laub weg.verb
The rain washes the leaves away.
Nach dem Sturm wurden viele kleine Äste vom Weg weggespült.verb
After the storm, many small branches were washed away from the path.
Kannst du bitte den Sand vom Rand des Beckens wegspülen?verb
Can you please wash away the sand from the edge of the pool?
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