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How to Say "shooting" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “shooting” is “disparando” — use this when referring to the act of firing a gun or projectile weapon..

English → Spanish

disparando

dis-pah-RAHN-doh/dis.paˈɾan.do/

Verb (Gerund)A2General
Use this when referring to the act of firing a gun or projectile weapon.
A cartoon hand holding a simple, stylized rifle, with a small cloud of white smoke visible exiting the barrel, indicating the action of shooting.

Examples

El tirador profesional estaba disparando con gran precisión.

The professional shooter was firing with great accuracy.

Vimos fuegos artificiales disparando hacia el cielo.

We saw fireworks launching toward the sky.

Continuous Action

The '-ando' ending means the action is happening right now or is ongoing. It is often used with 'estar' (to be) to form the present continuous tense: 'estoy disparando' (I am shooting).

Using the Infinitive

Mistake: “Using 'está disparar' to mean 'is shooting'.”

Correction: Always use the gerund after 'estar': 'está disparando'.

tirando

/tee-RAHN-doh//tiˈɾando/

Verb (Gerund)A2General
Use this for the action of throwing something, like seeds or a ball, or for firing a weapon (less common than 'disparando' for weapons).
A young child standing in a sunny park, mid-action, using their arm to launch a bright red ball high into the air.

Examples

El jardinero está tirando las semillas en la tierra.

The gardener is throwing the seeds onto the soil.

Están tirando abajo el viejo edificio para construir uno nuevo.

They are pulling down (demolishing) the old building to build a new one.

¿Por qué estás tirando basura al suelo?

Why are you throwing garbage on the floor?

Forming the Progressive Tense

To show an action is happening right now, you use a form of 'estar' (to be) plus 'tirando': 'Estoy tirando' (I am throwing).

tiro

TEE-roh/ˈtiɾo/

NounA2General
Use this to refer to a single instance of firing a weapon, or a shot.
A burst of smoke and light emanating from the barrel of a stylized firearm, depicting a shot being fired.

Examples

El policía hizo un tiro al aire para detener la pelea.

The police officer fired a shot into the air to stop the fight.

Necesitamos practicar el tiro al blanco este fin de semana.

We need to practice target shooting this weekend.

filmando

/feel-MAHN-doh//filˈmando/

Verb (Gerund)A2General
Use this when you are actively in the process of recording a movie, video, or television program.
A person holding a professional video camera on their shoulder, pointing it toward a colorful scene.

Examples

Estamos filmando un video para YouTube.

We are filming a video for YouTube.

Ellos pasaron todo el día filmando en el parque.

They spent the whole day filming in the park.

¿Qué estás filmando con tu teléfono?

What are you filming with your phone?

The '-ing' action form

Words ending in '-ando' are like English '-ing' words. Use them with the verb 'estar' (to be) to say what is happening right this second.

Missing the helper verb

Mistake: “Yo filmando un video.”

Correction: Yo estoy filmando un video. In Spanish, you almost always need 'estar' (am/is/are) before the '-ando' word.

rodando

/ro-DAN-do//roˈðando/

Verb (Gerund)B1General
Use this specifically for the act of cinematography or filming a movie scene.
A professional movie camera on a tripod pointed toward a beautiful outdoor scene.

Examples

Están rodando una escena de acción en el centro.

They are filming an action scene downtown.

Professional Jargon

In professional movie sets, 'rodar' is preferred over 'filmar'.

rodaje

/rro-DA-khe//roˈðaxe/

NounB1General
Use this to refer to the entire process or period of filming a movie or television production.
A professional movie camera on a tripod positioned on a film set with bright studio lights.

Examples

El rodaje de la película duró seis meses.

The filming of the movie lasted six months.

Tuvimos que detener el rodaje por la lluvia.

We had to stop shooting because of the rain.

Always Masculine

This word is always masculine ('el rodaje'), even if you are talking about a movie with a feminine name.

Weapon vs. Filming Confusion

Learners often confuse the words for shooting a weapon (disparando, tiro) with those for filming (filmando, rodando). Remember that 'disparar' is for guns, while 'filmar' and 'rodar' are for cameras and productions.

Related Translations

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