saltar
/salˈtaɾ/
To hop in Spanish is to saltar. If unsure, use saltar. Wiktionary also lists dar saltitos.
Meaning: jump a short distance (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| saltar | /salˈtaɾ/ |
| dar saltitos | /daɾ saltitos/ (from spelling rules) |
The verb saltar is versatile and can mean to jump, to leap or to skip/bypass something, such as skipping a step. You can also use the related noun salto to refer to a single jump. Note that the word lúpulo refers to the dried flowers of the hop plant rather than the movement.
Which one should you use?
While saltar is the general verb for jumping or leaping, the phrase dar saltitos is used specifically to describe the action of taking little hops or making small, light jumps.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person singular preterite form of saltar is saltó, which means he/she hopped.
How do you pronounce it?
/salˈtaɾ/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the verb saltar is used to describe a short circuit in electricity, such as when a fuse blows.
- The word saltamontes for 'grasshopper' literally translates to 'jump-mountains'.
- The phrase saltar a la vista means that something is obvious, literally 'to jump to the sight'.
Examples in context
- El niño saltó en un solo pieThe child hopped on one foot
- El conejo brincó sobre el charcoThe rabbit hopped over the puddle
- Eres un saltarínYou are a little hopper
- El perro dio un brinco de alegría cuando llegué a casaThe dog gave a little hop of joy when I came home
- El conejo puede saltar muy alto.The rabbit can jump very high.
- No debes saltar sobre la cama.You should not jump on the bed.
- Mira cómo puede saltar ese niño.Look how that boy can jump.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are watching a small dog in a park.
- Sofía¡Mira, el perro quiere saltar!Look, the dog wants to jump!
- MateoEs muy ágil para saltar así.He is very agile to jump like that.
- SofíaSí, parece que le gusta saltar.Yes, it seems he likes to jump.
- MateoEs un perro muy juguetón.He is a very playful dog.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hop” translations and entries saltar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
