volar
“volar” means “to fly” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to fly, to travel by air
📝 In Action
Quiero volar a Barcelona el próximo verano.
A1I want to fly to Barcelona next summer.
El pájaro vuela muy alto sobre las montañas.
A2The bird flies very high above the mountains.
¿Vuelas tú o prefieres el tren?
A1Do you fly or do you prefer the train?
to rush, to fly by
Also: to sell quickly
📝 In Action
El tiempo vuela en estas vacaciones.
B1Time flies on this vacation.
Las entradas para el concierto volaron en una hora.
B2The tickets for the concert sold out (flew) in an hour.
Ten cuidado, ese plato va a volar de la mesa.
B1Be careful, that plate is going to fly off the table (due to wind/speed).
to blow up, to explode
📝 In Action
La policía voló la puerta para entrar a la casa.
B2The police blew up the door to enter the house.
El edificio voló por una fuga de gas.
C1The building exploded due to a gas leak.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: volar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'volar' in its literal meaning of movement through the air?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Vulgar Latin verb *volare*, which meant 'to fly, move rapidly, or hover.' Its root is ancient and has always been associated with movement through the air.
First recorded: c. 13th century (in Spanish)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
¿Es 'volar' un verbo regular?
No, 'volar' es un verbo irregular. Es lo que llamamos un verbo de cambio de raíz o 'de bota'. La 'e' en la raíz cambia a 'ue' en casi todas las formas del presente (como 'vuelo' y 'vuelas'), excepto en 'nosotros' y 'vosotros'.
How do I say 'Time flies'?
You would use the standard Spanish structure: 'El tiempo vuela.' (Time flies). The verb form 'vuela' is the third person singular (él/ella/usted) form, agreeing with 'tiempo' (time).