Nettoyer (en. To clean)
/nɛ.twa.je/
Meaning & Definition
EnglishFrench
verb
To make something clean by removing dust or impurities.
The house needs to be cleaned before the guests arrive.
Il faut nettoyer la maison avant l'arrivée des invités.
To make stains disappear from a surface.
She managed to clean the wine stain from the tablecloth.
Elle a réussi à nettoyer la tache de vin sur la nappe.
To strip away unnecessary weight or what is useless.
He must clean his desk to better organize himself.
Il doit nettoyer son bureau pour mieux s'organiser.
Etymology
From the old verb 'nettoier', derived from the Latin 'nitidus' meaning 'bright, clean'.
Common Phrases and Expressions
to clean up one's acts
To correct or improve one's behavior.
nettoyer ses actes
to clean the scene
To remove the traces of an event or action.
nettoyer la scène
to clean up one's image
To improve the perception one has of oneself in public.
nettoyer son image
Related Words
clean
Which is neat, without dirt.
propre
disinfect
To eliminate germs and bacteria from a surface.
désinfecter
tidy up
To put in order by removing unnecessary items.
ranger
Slang Meanings
To sweep problems under the rug.
He prefers to clean rather than address the real issues.
Il préfère nettoyer plutôt que de traiter les véritables problèmes.
To do some spring cleaning.
We're going to deep clean the house this weekend.
On va nettoyer en profondeur la maison ce week-end.