Wash your hands before eating.

Meaning: This means to clean your hands with soap and water, before putting food in your mouth and swallowing it. It's like saying, Clean your hands with soap and water, before putting food in your mouth and swallowing it.

Choice of Words: Washing hands means cleaning them with soap and water. Before means earlier than or prior to a particular time or event. Eating means putting food in your mouth and swallowing it. When you put them together, "Wash your hands before eating" is a request to clean your hands with soap and water, earlier than or prior to putting food in your mouth and swallowing it.

Alternative Expressions

Make your hands clean before you eat.

Meaning: This means the same as the first sentence. It's another way to say, Clean your hands before you eat.

Choice of Words: Make means to cause something to happen or to create something. Clean means to remove dirt or germs from something. Before means to do something before another thing happens. Eat means to put food into your mouth and swallow it. When you put them together, "Make your hands clean before you eat" is a clear instruction to clean your hands before you put food into your mouth.

Clean your hands up before you eat.

Meaning: This means the same as the first two sentences. It's another way to say, Make sure your hands are clean before you eat.

Choice of Words: Clean means to remove dirt or germs from something. Up means to move something to a higher position or to make something better. Before means to do something before another thing happens. Eat means to put food into your mouth and swallow it. When you put them together, "Clean your hands up before you eat" is a clear instruction to clean your hands before you put food into your mouth.

Related Expressions