How to Say "to roll" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to roll” is “rodar” — use 'rodar' when describing the motion of an object moving by turning over and over, like a ball or a wheel.
rodar
roh-darroˈðaɾ
Examples
La pelota rodó por la colina hasta el río.
The ball rolled down the hill to the river.
El coche nuevo rueda muy suavemente.
The new car runs very smoothly (meaning: the wheels turn smoothly).
Tuvimos que rodar la caja pesada, no podíamos levantarla.
We had to roll the heavy box; we couldn't lift it.
Rodar vs. Rodarse
You use 'rodar' when you make something else roll ('Yo rodo el barril'). You use the reflexive form 'rodarse' when the object rolls by itself ('El barril se rodó').
liar
lee-ahrliˈar
Examples
Voy a liar un cigarrillo antes de salir.
I'm going to roll a cigarette before going out.
Tengo que liar este paquete para enviarlo por correo.
I have to wrap this package to send it by mail.
Él sabe liar sus propios cigarrillos.
He knows how to roll his own cigarettes.
Lió los libros con una cuerda vieja.
He tied the books together with an old rope.
The Accent Shift
Even though 'liar' looks simple, when you say 'I wrap' (lío), you must put an accent on the 'i' to keep it from blending with the 'o'.
Missing Accents
Mistake: “yo lio”
Correction: yo lío. Without the accent, it wouldn't sound like two distinct beats (lee-oh).
Confusing physical rolling with wrapping
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.