How to Say "to jump" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to jump” is “saltar” — use 'saltar' for the general action of jumping, like hopping, leaping, or springing up..
saltar
sahl-TAHR/salˈtaɾ/
Examples
Los niños saltaban en el trampolín toda la tarde.
The children were jumping on the trampoline all afternoon.
Tuve que saltar una valla para entrar al jardín.
I had to jump a fence to enter the garden.
Simple Action Verb
'Saltar' is a simple, regular verb. You can use it in all tenses just like 'hablar' (to speak) without worrying about stem changes.
tirar
/tee-RAHR//tiˈɾaɾ/
Examples
El clavadista se tiró a la piscina desde diez metros.
The diver threw himself into the pool from ten meters.
Después de la caminata, me tiré en el sofá.
After the walk, I threw myself down on the couch.
No te tires por esa pendiente, es peligroso.
Don't jump down that slope, it is dangerous.
The 'Se' Ending
When 'tirar' ends in 'se' (tirarse), it means the action is happening to the person doing it (like 'I throw myself'). You must use a matching pronoun: 'me tiro', 'te tiras', 'se tira', etc.
Omitting the Pronoun
Mistake: “Saying 'Yo tiré' when you mean 'I dove' or 'I lay down'.”
Correction: If the action is done to yourself, you need the pronoun: 'Yo me tiré' (I dove/lay down).
Saltar vs. Tirar
Related Translations
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