El símbolo de lavado aparece en la etiqueta de cuidado.

Because de + noun often works like a label or category in Spanish. Here, símbolo de lavado means something like washing symbol or wash symbol.

If you said del lavado, it would sound more like the symbol of the washing, as if you were talking about one specific washing event or process. That is not the usual idea here.

Here, lavado is functioning as a noun, not as a finite verb. It comes from lavar and means washing or wash in this kind of context.

Spanish often uses nouns after de to describe types of things:

• símbolo de lavado
• máquina de café
• ropa de invierno

So lavado is part of a noun phrase, not an action being performed in the sentence.

Because Spanish usually prefers a noun after de when naming a category or type of object. So símbolo de lavado sounds natural as a set expression.

De lavar would use the infinitive lavar, and that is not the normal way to name this kind of symbol. It would sound much less idiomatic.

Yes, aparece literally comes from aparecer, meaning to appear. But in Spanish, especially with text, signs, symbols, or information, aparecer can also mean:

• to show up
• to be shown
• to appear on
• to be found on

So in this sentence, aparece is a natural way to say that the symbol is shown on the care label.

Yes. Está would also be correct, but the nuance is slightly different.

• aparece en la etiqueta focuses on the symbol being printed, shown, or visible there
• está en la etiqueta focuses more simply on location

Both are possible, but aparece is very natural when talking about information or symbols on packaging or labels.

The subject is El símbolo de lavado.

The main noun is símbolo, which is singular, so the verb is also singular: aparece.

The phrase de lavado only describes símbolo. It does not make the subject plural.

Normally, you should keep them. Spanish uses articles more often than English does.

So:

• El símbolo de lavado
• la etiqueta de cuidado

sound natural and complete.

If you remove the articles, the sentence would sound unnatural in most normal contexts unless you were writing headings, labels, or very compressed technical notes.

Because both de lavado and de cuidado are describing the noun before them.

• símbolo de lavado = a washing symbol
• etiqueta de cuidado = a care label

This structure is very common in Spanish. English often uses noun + noun combinations, but Spanish usually links them with de.

Yes, other versions are possible.

• etiqueta de cuidado is understandable and correct
• etiqueta de cuidados is also common, because garment labels often contain several care instructions
• etiqueta de lavado is also very common when the focus is specifically on washing information

So the exact wording can vary a bit by context, but the sentence you have is perfectly understandable.

Because símbolo is stressed on the third-to-last syllable: SIM-bo-lo.

Words stressed on the third-to-last syllable are called esdrújulas, and in Spanish they always take a written accent mark.

That is why it is símbolo, not simbolo.

Yes. That is completely correct.

Spanish word order is more flexible than English word order. Your new version puts the location first:

• En la etiqueta de cuidado aparece el símbolo de lavado

That can sound slightly more natural if you want to emphasize where the symbol appears.

Both versions are good.

In most of Spain, the c before e is pronounced like the th in think. So aparece sounds roughly like a-pa-RE-the.

A few useful pronunciation points:

• símbolo → SIM-bo-lo
• lavado → la-BA-do
• aparece → a-pa-RE-the in most of Spain
• etiqueta → e-ti-KE-ta
• cuidado → kwee-DA-do

If you hear Latin American Spanish, aparece will usually sound more like a-pa-RE-se instead.