hacer dominadas
/aθeɾ dominadas/from spelling rules
To juggle a soccer ball in Spanish, use hacer dominadas.
The phrase hacer dominadas is the standard way to describe the skill of keeping a soccer ball in the air using any part of the body except the hands.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to 'to do dominances' or 'to do control/dominance' (referring to the control of the ball).
Which one should you use?
While hacer dominadas specifically refers to the act of juggling, dominar el balón is a more general way to say one is controlling the ball during play. In informal settings, you may also hear hacer jueguitos con la pelota.
How do you pronounce it?
/aθeɾ dominadas/
Did you know?
- A person who is exceptionally good at hacer dominadas is sometimes described as having magia in their feet, implying the ball is being manipulated by magic rather than just skill.
- The word hacer shares a common ancestor with the Latin 'facere', which is the root of the English word 'fact'.
- In many Latin American countries, you might hear the phrase hacer toques instead of hacer dominadas to describe the same skill.
Examples in context
- A Roberto le gusta hacer malabarismos con un balón de fútbol todos los días.Roberto enjoys juggling a soccer ball every day.
- ¡Mira cómo José hace jueguitos con la pelota! Tiene un gran control.Look at how José juggles the ball! He has great control.
- Él sabe hacer dominadas muy bien.He knows how to juggle a soccer ball very well.
- ¿Quieres hacer dominadas en el parque?Do you want to juggle a soccer ball in the park?
- Estoy practicando para hacer dominadas sin parar.I am practicing to juggle a soccer ball without stopping.
Example conversation
Two friends are practicing sports together.
- MaríaAlejandro, ¿sabes hacer dominadas?Alejandro, do you know how to juggle a soccer ball?
- AlejandroSí, María, pero no soy muy bueno.Yes, María, but I am not very good.
- María¡Mira, yo puedo hacer diez!Look, I can do ten!
- Alejandro¡Guau, haces dominadas muy bien!Wow, you juggle a soccer ball very well!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hacer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
