rodar
/roh-dar/
to roll
Rodar means 'to roll,' like a ball moving down a slope.
rodar(verb)
to roll
?physical movement
,to spin
?like a wheel
to trundle
?moving something heavy on wheels
,to run
?of a machine or vehicle
📝 In Action
La pelota rodó por la colina hasta el río.
A2The ball rolled down the hill to the river.
El coche nuevo rueda muy suavemente.
B1The new car runs very smoothly (meaning: the wheels turn smoothly).
Tuvimos que rodar la caja pesada, no podíamos levantarla.
B2We had to roll the heavy box; we couldn't lift it.
💡 Grammar Points
Rodar vs. Rodarse
You use 'rodar' when you make something else roll ('Yo rodo el barril'). You use the reflexive form 'rodarse' when the object rolls by itself ('El barril se rodó').
When used in the context of cinema, rodar means 'to film' or 'to shoot' a movie.
rodar(verb)
to film
?shoot a movie
,to shoot
?a scene or video
to be in production
?a film project
📝 In Action
¿Dónde van a rodar la nueva serie de ciencia ficción?
B1Where are they going to film the new science fiction series?
La película fue rodada en blanco y negro.
B2The movie was shot in black and white.
El director está rodando su escena favorita hoy.
B1The director is shooting his favorite scene today.
💡 Grammar Points
Passive Voice with Rodar
This meaning is often used in the passive voice to describe where a film was made: 'La película fue rodada en Madrid' (The movie was filmed in Madrid).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'Disparar'
Mistake: "Using 'disparar' (to shoot a gun) for filming."
Correction: Always use 'rodar' or 'filmar' when talking about cameras and movies, not 'disparar'.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: rodar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'rodar' in its figurative meaning (to film)?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'rodar' ever mean 'to run' like a person runs?
No. 'Rodar' means 'to run' only in the sense of a machine or vehicle operating or moving smoothly (like wheels spinning). For a person running, you should always use 'correr'.
Is 'rodar' a stem-changing verb (O to UE)?
No, 'rodar' is a regular verb. It follows the standard pattern for -ar verbs: 'yo rodo', 'tú rodas', etc. Unlike verbs like 'dormir' or 'mover', the 'o' does not change to 'ue'.