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voltear

bohl-teh-AHR/bol.teˈaɾ/

to turn over, to flip

Also: to turn inside out
VerbA2regular ar
Latin America
A hand using a spatula to flip a pancake in a frying pan.
gerundvolteando
past Participlevolteado
infinitivevoltear

📝 In Action

Voltea la carne antes de que se queme.

A1

Turn the meat over before it burns.

Tienes que voltear el colchón cada seis meses.

A2

You have to flip the mattress every six months.

Si volteas la almohada, estará más fría.

B1

If you flip the pillow over, it will be cooler.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • girar (to turn/rotate)
  • dar la vuelta (to turn around)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • voltear la tortilla – to turn the situation around
  • voltear la página – to turn the page (literally or figuratively)

to turn around

Also: to look back
VerbB1regular ar
Spain
A person standing on a path, looking back over their shoulder.
gerundvolteando
past Participlevolteado
infinitivevoltear

📝 In Action

Ella volteó para despedirse.

A2

She turned around to say goodbye.

No voltees, alguien nos está mirando.

B1

Don't look back, someone is watching us.

Volteó la cabeza cuando escuchó el ruido.

B1

He turned his head when he heard the noise.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • mirar hacia atrás (to look back)

Common Collocations

  • voltear a ver – to turn and look at

to knock over, to capsize

Also: to overturn
VerbB2regular ar
A glass of water tipping over and spilling on a table.
gerundvolteando
past Participlevolteado
infinitivevoltear

📝 In Action

El viento volteó las sombrillas de la playa.

B1

The wind knocked over the beach umbrellas.

Una ola gigante volteó el velero.

B2

A giant wave capsized the sailboat.

Ten cuidado o vas a voltear el vaso.

A2

Be careful or you're going to knock over the glass.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesvoltearan
yovolteara
túvoltearas
vosotrosvoltearais
nosotrosvolteáramos
él/ella/ustedvolteara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesvolteen
yovoltee
túvoltees
vosotrosvolteéis
nosotrosvolteemos
él/ella/ustedvoltee

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesvoltearon
yovolteé
túvolteaste
vosotrosvolteasteis
nosotrosvolteamos
él/ella/ustedvolteó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesvolteaban
yovolteaba
túvolteabas
vosotrosvolteabais
nosotrosvolteábamos
él/ella/ustedvolteaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesvoltean
yovolteo
túvolteas
vosotrosvolteáis
nosotrosvolteamos
él/ella/ustedvoltea
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "voltear" in Spanish:

to capsize→to flip→to overturn→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: voltear

Question 1 of 3

If you are cooking an omelet and it's done on one side, what do you do?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
vuelta(turn / return) — Noun
volteo(act of turning) — Noun
revolver(to stir / mix) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'voltare', which is a variation of 'volvere', meaning to roll, twist, or turn.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: revolveFrench: voulte

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'voltear' different from 'doblar'?

Yes! 'Voltear' means to flip or turn around. 'Doblar' means to fold (like paper) or to turn a corner while driving.

Can I use 'voltear' in Spain?

Yes, it is understood, but Spaniards often prefer 'dar la vuelta' for turning around or 'volcar' for knocking something over.

Does it mean 'to return'?

No. That is 'volver'. They sound similar but have very different meanings!