volar
/boˈlaɾ/
The Spanish verb for 'to fly' is volar.
volar is a verb meaning the action of moving through the air. Note that if you are referring to the insect, the most common translation is mosca.
Meaning: insect of the order Diptera (noun)
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between the action and the object: volar is the verb meaning 'to fly', whereas mosca is the noun used for the insect itself.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions like Spain and certain Latin American countries, you might hear the informal term bicho to refer to a fly. In Andalusia, Spain, the word moscardón is used specifically for a large, annoying fly. In Mexico, the word zancudo is used to refer to a mosquito.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun form used to describe a flight, or the act of flying, is vuelo.
How do you pronounce it?
/boˈlaɾ/
Did you know?
- The word volar can also mean 'to blow up' or 'to explode', such as when a building is demolished.
- In Spanish, the word mosca is used in the phrase mosca muerta to describe someone who pretends to be innocent or shy but is actually cunning.
- In Spanish, the word mosca is used in the idiom estar mosca, which means to be suspicious or on one's guard rather than referring to the insect.
Examples in context
- Volaré a la luna.I'll fly to the moon.This sentence uses volar to express a future intention of flying.Tatoeba #1820104 by Shishir, translation #9814476 by DJ_Saidez
- No volaré en avión.I won't fly in a plane.Tatoeba #5132451 by cueyayotl, translation #5177265 by tabular
- Él es capaz de volar.He is able to fly.This sentence uses volar to describe a capability of flying.Tatoeba #4552951 by DarkHollow, translation #4550890 by Whidou
- Los pájaros vuelanBirds fly
- ¡Cuidado! ¡Hay una mosca en la cocina!Be careful! There's a fly in the kitchen!
- El avión está a punto de volarThe airplane is about to fly.
- Voy a abrir la ventana para que entre más aire y se vaya esa moscaI'm going to open the window to let more air in and get that fly out.
- En el verano, hay muchos mosquitos volando alrededorIn the summer, there are many mosquitoes flying around
- No me gusta cuando los moscardones se acercan a la comida en el patioI don't like it when the big flies approach the food in the patio.
- 95 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry volar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
