How to Say "to ad-lib" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to ad-lib” is “improvisar” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Si olvidas tus líneas en la obra, simplemente improvisa.
If you forget your lines in the play, just improvise.
El pianista empezó a improvisar una melodía hermosa.
The pianist started to improvise a beautiful melody.
No tenía un discurso preparado, así que tuve que improvisar.
I didn't have a speech prepared, so I had to wing it.
A Friendly Regular Verb
This verb follows the exact same pattern as 'hablar.' If you know how to conjugate 'hablar,' you already know how to conjugate 'improvisar'!
Using it with 'sobre'
When talking about what you are improvising on top of (like a base melody), use 'sobre': 'Improvisó sobre la melodía'.
The 'Improve' Trap
Mistake: “Using 'improvisar' when you mean 'to make something better'.”
Correction: Use 'mejorar' for making things better; 'improvisar' only means doing things without a plan.
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.