ir a nadar
/iɾ a nadaɾ/from spelling rules
To go swimming in Spanish is ir a nadar.
The phrase ir a nadar is used to describe the act of traveling to a body of water specifically for the purpose of swimming.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb ir (to go), the preposition a (to) and the infinitive nadar (to swim).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the phrase ir a pileta is often used to refer to going swimming.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the past tense 'went swimming', you conjugate ir into the preterite fuimos followed by a nadar, resulting in fuimos a nadar.
How do you pronounce it?
/iɾ a nadaɾ/
Did you know?
- The verb ir is a linguistic mosaic. While most forms come from the Latin 'īre', the word voy comes from 'vādere' and the past tense fui actually comes from the Latin word for 'to be'.
- While ir a nadar means 'to go swimming', the word pileta used in Argentinian swimming phrases can mean 'sink' in other countries.
- Spanish uses a specific structure called the periphrastic construction in ir a nadar, which allows speakers to express an intention or a future plan using a present tense verb of motion.
Examples in context
- ¿Con quién sueles ir a nadar?Who do you usually go swimming with?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's swimming companions using ir a nadar.Tatoeba #7559571 by arh, translation #6346064 by CK
- Mi padre me permitió ir a nadar.My father allowed me to go swimming.This sentence is useful for describing permission to ir a nadar.Tatoeba #632686 by Shishir, translation #319159 by CK
- En verano, solíamos ir a nadar al río.In summer, we used to go swimming in the river.This sentence is useful for describing a past habit of ir a nadar during the summer.Tatoeba #1637279 by teskmon, translation #24380 by ToxicFriu
- Me encantaría ir a nadar este fin de semana.I would love to go swimming this weekend.
- ¿Puedo ir a nadar en la piscina?May I go swimming in the pool?
- Vamos a nadar en la playa.Let's go swimming at the beach.
- ¿Te apetece ir a nadar en la piscina?Do you feel like going swimming in the pool?
- Voy a dar un chapuzón en el río. ¿Te unes?I'm going to take a dip in the river. Do you want to join?
- Después de clase, me encanta darme un chapuzón en la piscina.After class, I love to take a swim in the pool.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their plans for the afternoon.
- JavierSofía, ¿quieres ir a nadar conmigo?Sofía, do you want to go swimming with me?
- SofíaSí, me encanta ir a nadar cuando hace calor.Yes, I love to go swimming when it is hot.
- JavierPerfecto, yo llevo las toallas para los dos.Perfect, I will bring the towels for both of us.
- SofíaGracias, Javier, ¡vamos ahora mismo!Thanks, Javier, let's go right now!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, ir, nadar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
