7.0 Preparación: Daily Routines and Personal Hygiene

Goals and Objectives of Preparation

The primary goals for this section of study are to enable the student to effectively describe their daily routines and to discuss various personal hygiene products in Spanish.

La Higiene Personal (Personal Hygiene)

This section focuses on the vocabulary related to the bathroom environment, personal grooming products, and the reflexive actions associated with hygiene.

Places and Objects in the Bathroom

  • El baño: Bathroom

  • El espejo: Mirror

  • La toalla: Towel

Personal Hygiene Products

  • El despertador: Alarm clock

  • El champú: Shampoo

  • La crema de afeitar: Shaving cream

  • El maquillaje: Makeup

  • El jabón: Soap

  • El cepillo: Brush

  • La alarma: Alarm

Reflexive Verbs for Personal Care

  • Afeitarse: To shave

  • Bañarse: To take a bath

  • Cepillarse el pelo: To brush one's hair

  • Cepillarse los dientes: To brush one's teeth

  • Ducharse: To shower

  • Lavarse la cara: To wash one's face

  • Lavarse las manos: To wash one's hands

  • Maquillarse: To put on makeup

  • Peinarse: To comb one's hair

  • Secarse: To dry (oneself)

La Vida Diaria (Daily Daily)

This category encompasses the functional activities performed throughout the day, particularly those marking the transition between morning and night.

Specific Routine Examples

  • Se lava las manos: She washes her hands.

  • Se ducha: He takes a shower.

Actions: Por la mañana y por la noche (In the morning and at night)

Note: Several of these verbs are stem-changing.

  • Acostarse (o:ue): To lie down; to go to bed

  • Despertarse (e:ie): To wake up

  • Vestirse (e:i): To get dressed

  • Dormirse (o:ue): To go to sleep; to fall asleep

  • Levantarse: To get up

Otras Palabras y Expresiones (Other Words and Expressions)

These terms serve as the temporal and sequential backbone of describing a routine, allowing for a chronological narrative of daily activities.

General Terms

  • La rutina diaria: Daily routine

  • Siempre: Always

  • También: Also; too

  • Temprano: Early

Temporal and Sequential Markers

  • Antes (de): Before

  • Después: Afterward; then

  • Después de: After

  • Durante: During

  • Entonces: Then

  • Luego: Afterward; then

  • Más tarde: Later (on)

  • Por último: Finally

Times of Day

  • Por la mañana: In the morning

  • Por la tarde: In the afternoon; in the (early) evening

  • Por la noche: At night

Expresiones Útiles (Useful Expressions)

This list includes miscellaneous nouns, verbs, and phrases that are frequently used in conversation regarding daily life and unexpected events.

  • La araña: Spider

  • La ayuda: Help

  • Cuando: When

  • Desde hace: For (a period of time)

  • El desorden: Mess

  • ¿En serio?: Really?

  • Gracioso/a: Funny

  • Llamar: To call

  • Las pantuflas: Slippers

  • Por eso: That's why

  • Gritar: To scream