How to Say "to spin" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to spin” is “girar” — use 'girar' when something is turning or rotating in place, like a planet or a dancer..
girar
hee-RAHR/xiˈɾaɾ/
Examples
La Tierra gira alrededor del Sol.
The Earth turns (rotates) around the Sun.
El bailarín giró tres veces antes de caer.
The dancer spun three times before falling.
Regular -AR Verb
Girar follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar. Once you learn the endings for 'hablar' or 'cantar,' you know how to conjugate 'girar' in every tense!
rodar
/roh-dar//roˈðaɾ/
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').
Girar vs. Rodar Confusion
Related Translations
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