Inklingo

How to Say "drifting" in Spanish

The Spanish word fordriftingis flotandoA2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA2
Gerund (Verb Form)A2
moving slowly without direction
A single bright yellow rubber duck floating effortlessly on the surface of calm, clear blue water.

Examples

El tronco estuvo flotando por el río durante días.

The log was floating down the river for days.

Están flotando en el aire como si no tuvieran peso.

They are floating in the air as if they had no weight.

Vi a la niña flotando boca arriba en la piscina.

I saw the girl floating face up in the pool.

Continuous Actions

The '-ando' ending (the gerund) is the Spanish equivalent of the English '-ing' form. You use it with the verb 'estar' to talk about what is happening right now: 'Estoy flotando' (I am floating).

Adverbial Use

You can use 'flotando' right after a verb of motion or perception to describe how the action is being done: 'Vino flotando' (It came floating).

Mixing up the 'ing' forms

Mistake:Using 'estar flotado' instead of 'estar flotando'.

Correction: The '-ado' form ('flotado') is for completed actions (like 'has floated'). Use the '-ando' form ('flotando') for actions in progress.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.