Inklingo

How to Say "to wave" in Spanish

The Spanish word forto waveis agitarA2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA2

agitar

verbA2
moving a hand or a flag in the air
A hand holding a clear glass bottle filled with orange juice, showing motion lines to indicate it is being shaken vigorously.

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.

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