Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bailarín | /bailaˈɾin/ | masculine |
| bailador | /bailaˈdoɾ/ | masculine |
A dancer is a person who dances. While both bailarín and bailador refer to dancers, bailarín is the standard term used for someone who dances, often implying a level of professional skill or proficiency.
What does it mean word for word?
The word bailarín is derived from the verb bailar (to dance) combined with the suffix -ín, which is used to denote a person associated with an action.
Which one should you use?
bailarín is the standard term for a dancer, often implying skill or a professional context. In contrast, bailador is more commonly used when referring to specific folk or social dance contexts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of bailarín is bailarina. To refer to a group of dancers, use the masculine or mixed-gender plural bailarines or the feminine plural bailarinas if the group consists only of women.
How do you pronounce it?
/bailaˈɾin/
Did you know?
- In some Caribbean slang, calling someone a bailador can be a way to describe a 'smooth talker' or a flirt, rather than just someone who is good at dancing.
- The suffix -dor in bailador comes from the Latin suffix -tor, which is the same linguistic root used to create many English nouns for people who perform actions, such as 'actor' or 'inventor'.
- In some contexts, a bailador is not just a performer but a 'caller' or leader who directs the steps of a traditional folk dance.
Examples in context
- Tom es un gran bailarín.Tom is a very good dancer.This sentence is useful for describing someone's skill level as a bailarín.Tatoeba #2726620 by Shishir, translation #2644400 by CK
- El bailarín baila un baile.The dancer dances a dance.This sentence shows the use of bailarín in a simple sentence about dancing.Tatoeba #12220237 by Agua, translation #4903454 by Muelisto
- Soy bailarín.I'm a dancer.This sentence demonstrates how to say 'I am a dancer' using bailarín.Tatoeba #12889774 by ecorralest101, translation #5839958 by CK
- El bailarín principal es increíblemente talentoso.The principal dancer is incredibly talented.
- Me encanta ver a la bailarina durante las actuaciones.I love watching the dancer during performances.
- Ella es una bailarina experta en danzas folclóricas.She is an expert dancer in folk dances.
- El bailarino profesional viaja por todo el mundo para presentarse en diferentes escenarios.The professional dancer travels around the world to perform on different stages.
- El bailaor que vimos en el tablao flamenco era extraordinario.The male dancer we saw at the flamenco venue was extraordinary.
- La danzante tenía una energía magnética en el escenario.The dancer had a magnetic energy on stage.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are discussing a talent show.
- SofíaJavier, ¿eres tú el bailarín del grupo?Javier, are you the dancer of the group?
- JavierSí, yo soy el bailarín principal.Yes, I am the main dancer.
- Sofía¡Qué bien! Bailas muy bien.How great! You dance very well.
- JavierGracias, Sofía. Practico todos los días.Thank you, Sofía. I practice every day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dancer” translations and entries bailarín, bailador, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bailador, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
