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La lavadora y el lavavajillas son electrodomésticos.

La lavadora y el lavavajillas son electrodomésticos.
The washing machine and the dishwasher are household appliances.
From Lesson 247:Appliances and laundry (el lavavajillas, tender)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about La lavadora y el lavavajillas son electrodomésticos.

Why does lavavajillas end in s if it is just one dishwasher?
The word lavavajillas is a compound noun made from the verb lava (washes) and the plural noun vajillas (dishes). In Spanish, compound nouns formed this way end in s but act as singular nouns when referring to one item. You use the article to show the number, so one dishwasher is el lavavajillas and multiple are los lavavajillas.
Why is lavadora feminine but lavavajillas is masculine?
Machine names ending in -dora, like la lavadora (washing machine) or la aspiradora (vacuum cleaner), are feminine. However, compound words made of a verb plus a plural noun, like el lavavajillas, are always masculine.
Why do we use son instead of están in this sentence?
We use son, which comes from the verb ser, because we are defining what these machines are. Whenever you classify objects into a category or state a factual definition, you must use ser rather than estar.
How is the long word electrodomésticos built?
It combines the prefix electro- (electric) and the adjective domésticos (domestic). It literally translates to electric domestic items, which is the standard Spanish way to refer to household appliances.

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