Spanish · A1 · Family moment
Tidy up time in Spanish
Make tidying up a positive routine with your child using these simple Spanish phrases focused on cooperation and playfulness.
What you'll learn
- Use informal commands to give instructions
- Learn vocabulary for toys and storage
- Express encouragement and politeness during chores
Spanish phrases for tidy up time
Vamos a recoger.
Let's tidy up.
'Recoger' literally means 'to pick up'.
Pon los juguetes en la caja.
Put the toys in the box.
'Pon' is the short command form of 'poner' (to put).
Ayúdame, por favor.
Help me, please.
'Ayuda' is the command, 'me' means 'me'.
¿Dónde va esto?
Where does this go?
A useful question to involve the child in organizing.
Eres un gran ayudante.
You are a great helper.
Use 'ayudante' for both boys and girls, or 'ayudanta' for a girl specifically.
Casi terminamos.
Almost done.
Literally: 'We almost finished'.
¡Bien hecho!
Well done!
A common way to praise a completed task.
Ahora podemos jugar.
Now we can play.
'Podemos' comes from 'poder' (to be able to).
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
Juguetes
Toys
Plural of 'juguete'.
Caja
Box
Commonly used for toy bins.
Por favor
Please
Always essential for polite requests.
Ahora
Now
A useful time marker for transitions.
The Informal Command (Tú Imperative)
When giving instructions to your child, use the informal command. For regular -ar verbs, use the 'he/she' form. Some common verbs like 'poner' have special short forms.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Poner (to put) | Pon | Pon el oso aquí. (Put the bear here.) |
| Ayudar (to help) | Ayuda | Ayuda a mamá. (Help mommy.) |
Using 'Vamos a'
To say 'Let's do something', use 'Vamos a' followed by the verb in its original (infinitive) form.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Let's tidy | Vamos a recoger | ¡Vamos a recoger los bloques! |
| Let's play | Vamos a jugar | ¡Vamos a jugar afuera! |
More examples
Pon el coche en la caja, por favor.
Put the car in the box, please.
Combining the command with specific toy names.
¡Muy bien! Casi terminamos.
Very good! Almost done.
Encouraging the child halfway through the task.