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bailar

by-LAHRbaiˈlaɾ

“bailar” means “to dance” in Spanish (physical activity).

to dance

Also: to move/to wobble
VerbA1regular ar
Mexico
A stylized figure wearing bright clothes mid-leap, demonstrating the physical act of dancing.
infinitivebailar
gerundbailando
past Participlebailado

📝 In Action

Ella quiere bailar salsa toda la noche.

A1

She wants to dance salsa all night.

¿Sabes bailar? Podemos ir a la fiesta.

A1

Do you know how to dance? We can go to the party.

El cuadro está mal colgado y parece que va a bailar.

B2

The painting is badly hung and looks like it's going to wobble.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • bailar salsa / tango / cumbia – to dance salsa / tango / cumbia
  • bailar pegado – to slow dance / to dance close together

Idioms & Expressions

  • bailarle el agua a alguien – To flatter or fawn over someone, often to get something.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedbaila
yobailo
túbailas
ellos/ellas/ustedesbailan
nosotrosbailamos
vosotrosbailáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedbailaba
yobailaba
túbailabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesbailaban
nosotrosbailábamos
vosotrosbailabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedbailó
yobailé
túbailaste
ellos/ellas/ustedesbailaron
nosotrosbailamos
vosotrosbailasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedbaile
yobaile
túbailes
ellos/ellas/ustedesbailen
nosotrosbailemos
vosotrosbailéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedbailara
yobailara
túbailaras
ellos/ellas/ustedesbailaran
nosotrosbailáramos
vosotrosbailarais
View All Tenses & Moods →

Vocabulary Collections

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "bailar" in Spanish:

to dance→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: bailar

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses the past tense (preterite) form of 'bailar'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
el baile(the dance/the ball (noun)) — Noun
bailarín / bailarina(dancer (noun)) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes from the Late Latin verb *ballare*, which itself came from the ancient Greek word *ballizein*, meaning 'to jump' or 'to throw oneself about.' The focus shifted from jumping to rhythmic movement.

First recorded: Around the 13th century in Spanish.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: bailarItalian: ballareFrench: baller

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'bailar' always mean 'to dance'?

Almost always! It's the standard verb. However, sometimes it is used figuratively to mean 'to wobble' or 'to be unstable,' like when describing a wobbly table or a loose tooth.

Is 'bailar' a regular verb?

Yes, absolutely! It is a perfectly regular -ar verb, meaning it follows the standard, easy-to-learn pattern for all tenses.