The Spanish word 'fregadero' (meaning 'sink') comes from combining the verb 'fregar' (meaning 'to scrub') with the suffix '-dero' which indicates a place where an action happens. The verb 'fregar' itself comes from the Latin word 'fricare' which meant 'to rub'. This etymology makes intuitive sense since a sink is literally the place where you do scrubbing and washing.

A simpler and more common Spanish word that shares this etymology is the verb 'fregar' meaning 'to scrub' or 'to wash dishes'. When you learn 'fregadero', you can remember it's the place where you do the action of 'fregar'.

While not exactly the same, English words like 'friction' and 'frictional' are distant cousins of 'fregadero', as they also come from the Latin 'fricare' meaning 'to rub'. Just as friction involves rubbing between surfaces, 'fregar' involves the rubbing action of scrubbing or washing.