rodar
“rodar” means “to roll” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to roll, to spinAlso: to trundle, to run
📝 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.
Word Connections
to film, to shootAlso: to be in production
📝 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.
Word Connections
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Preterite
Imperfect
Present
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: rodar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'rodar' in its figurative meaning (to film)?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
📚 Etymology
Comes from the vulgar Latin word *rotulare*, which itself is derived from the classical Latin *rota*, meaning 'wheel.' The original concept is all about things turning and spinning.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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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'.