How to Say "swell" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “swell” is “ola” — use 'ola' when referring to a large mass of moving water, typically in the ocean or sea..
ola
OH-lah/ˈo.la/
Examples
Las olas del mar estaban muy altas hoy.
The sea swells were very high today.
Me encanta ver cómo rompen las olas en la playa.
I love watching how the waves break on the beach.
Ten cuidado, hoy hay olas muy grandes.
Be careful, there are very big waves today.
El surfista esperó la ola perfecta durante horas.
The surfer waited for the perfect wave for hours.
Feminine Noun
Remember that 'ola' is a feminine word, so you must use 'la' or 'una' before it: 'la ola' (the wave), 'unas olas' (some waves).
barriga
/bah-REE-gah//baˈriɣa/
Examples
La barriga de la botella es bastante ancha.
The swell of the bottle is quite wide.
La barriga de esta jarra de barro es muy ancha.
The bulge of this clay jar is very wide.
La pared tiene una barriga y parece que se va a caer.
The wall has a bulge and looks like it's going to fall.
Descriptive Nouns
Many Spanish words for body parts are also used to describe parts of objects that look similar (like the 'eye' of a needle or 'belly' of a jar).
Waves vs. Curved Shapes
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