rebotar
“rebotar” means “to bounce” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to bounce
Also: to rebound
📝 In Action
La pelota rebota muy alto.
A1The ball bounces very high.
El balón rebotó en el poste y entró en la portería.
A2The ball bounced off the post and went into the goal.
Tienes que hacer rebotar el balón mientras corres.
B1You have to bounce the ball while you run.
to bounce back
Also: to be rejected
📝 In Action
Mi correo electrónico rebotó porque la dirección era incorrecta.
B1My email bounced back because the address was incorrect.
El banco rebotó el cheque por falta de fondos.
B2The bank bounced the check due to insufficient funds.
Si el servidor está lleno, los mensajes van a rebotar.
B1If the server is full, the messages are going to bounce.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: rebotar
Question 1 of 3
What happens if you send an email to a fake address?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the prefix 're-' (again/back) and the word 'botar' (to throw or to bounce), which likely comes from a Germanic root meaning 'to hit'.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'rebotar' a regular verb?
Yes! It follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar.
Can I use 'rebotar' to mean I'm angry?
In Spain, people use the related form 'rebotarse' or say they are 'rebotado' to mean they are annoyed or 'huffy,' but this is very informal.
What's the difference between 'botar' and 'rebotar'?
In many Latin American countries, 'botar' is the everyday word for bouncing a ball. 'Rebotar' sounds slightly more technical or specific to hitting a surface and coming back.