How to Say "to shake" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to shake” is “sacudir” — use 'sacudir' when you are talking about moving something back and forth quickly, like dusting off an object or cleaning something by shaking it..
sacudir
/sah-koo-DEER//sakuˈðiɾ/
Examples
Tienes que sacudir la alfombra fuera de la casa.
You have to shake the rug outside of the house.
Ella sacudió el mantel después de la cena.
She shook out the tablecloth after dinner.
No sacudas el termómetro tan fuerte.
Don't shake the thermometer so hard.
Cleaning context
In many Spanish-speaking countries, simply saying 'voy a sacudir' usually implies you are going to dust the furniture or clean the house.
Physical Action
Unlike 'mover' (to move), 'sacudir' always implies a vigorous, quick, or jarring movement.
Using 'limpiar' for dusting
Mistake: “Limpio el polvo de la mesa.”
Correction: Sacudo el polvo de la mesa. While 'limpiar' is okay, 'sacudir' is the specific action for dusting.
agitar
/ah-hee-tar//axiˈtaɾ/
Examples
Debes agitar la medicina antes de tomarla.
You must shake the medicine before taking it.
Los niños agitaron sus banderas durante el desfile.
The children waved their flags during the parade.
No agites la botella de refresco o explotará.
Don't shake the soda bottle or it will explode.
Shake vs. Wave
In English, we say 'shake hands' for a greeting, but in Spanish, 'agitar la mano' usually means waving 'hello' or 'goodbye.' To shake hands as a greeting, use 'dar la mano'.
Using it for Greetings
Mistake: “Agité su mano cuando lo vi.”
Correction: Le di la mano cuando lo vi (I shook his hand) OR Le agité la mano (I waved at him). 'Agitar' is the physical act of shaking something back and forth, not the formal greeting ritual.
vibrar
/bee-BRAHR//biˈβɾaɾ/
Examples
Siento mi teléfono vibrar en mi bolsillo.
I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket.
Las cuerdas de la guitarra vibran para producir sonido.
The guitar strings vibrate to produce sound.
El suelo vibró cuando pasó el camión.
The ground shook when the truck passed by.
Perfectly Regular
Good news! This verb follows the standard rules for all '-ar' verbs. If you know how to conjugate 'hablar', you know 'vibrar'.
Vibrar vs. Temblar
Mistake: “Me vibro de frío.”
Correction: Tiemblo de frío. Use 'vibrar' for machines or tools, and 'temblar' for humans shivering or earthquakes.
menear
/meh-neh-AHR//me.neˈaɾ/
Examples
El perro menea la cola cuando está feliz.
The dog wags its tail when it is happy.
Ella menea las caderas al caminar.
She swings her hips as she walks.
No menees la cabeza así, que me mareas.
Don't shake your head like that, you're making me dizzy.
Use 'the' for Body Parts
In Spanish, we say 'the head' instead of 'my head' when using this verb. For example: 'menea la cabeza' instead of 'menea su cabeza'.
Mover vs. Menear
Mistake: “Using 'mover' when a repetitive, rhythmic movement is intended.”
Correction: Use 'menear' for things like tails wagging or hips swinging. 'Mover' is for general movement from point A to B.
estremecer
/es-treh-meh-SEHR//estɾemeˈθeɾ/
Examples
El rugido del motor hizo estremecer el suelo.
The roar of the engine made the ground shake.
Ella se estremeció al sentir el viento helado en su cara.
She shuddered when she felt the icy wind on her face.
Un fuerte terremoto estremeció la ciudad durante la noche.
A strong earthquake shook the city during the night.
The 'ZC' Spelling Change
For this verb, when you have a 'yo' form or a 'special form' (subjunctive) that ends in 'o' or 'a', the 'c' changes to 'zc' to keep the soft 's' or 'th' sound.
When to use 'se'
Use 'estremecerse' (with the extra 'se') when you are talking about a person shivering or shuddering on their own. Use 'estremecer' without 'se' when something else is doing the shaking.
Missing the 'Z'
Mistake: “Yo estremeco.”
Correction: Yo estremezco. (The 'z' is needed before the 'o' to maintain the correct pronunciation pattern.)
Agitar vs. Sacudir
Related Translations
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