saltar
/salˈtaɾ/
To jump up in Spanish is to saltar.
The verb saltar describes the action of moving to a higher position with a single jump. Depending on the context, it can also mean to skip or to bypass something.
Meaning: to move to a higher position with one jump (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin American countries and among Spanish speakers in the United States, brincar is commonly used for jump up. In certain regions of Spain, you may use subir de un salto instead of the phrase dar un salto hacia arriba (to take a jump up).
How does it change in a sentence?
The gerund form is saltando. If you want to say that he or she jumped in the past, use the third-person singular preterite form saltó. The related noun for a jump is el salto.
How do you pronounce it?
/salˈtaɾ/
Did you know?
- The word saltar shares a deep linguistic root with the English word 'assault', as both derive from the Latin root for leaping or jumping upon.
- In Spanish, the word salto can refer to a jump and also to a waterfall, as the water is perceived to be jumping down.
- The verb saltar comes from the Latin saltāre, which was a frequentative form meaning to jump repeatedly or dance.
Examples in context
- El entrenador nos pidió saltar hacia arriba para calentar nuestros músculos.The coach asked us to jump up to warm up our muscles.
- ¡Vamos a brincar como niños!Let's jump up like children!
- Salté para arriba cuando me dijeron la noticia emocionante.I jumped up when I heard the exciting news.
- El niño dio un salto hacia arriba de alegría al recibir su regalo.The child took a jump up in joy when receiving his gift.
- El gato va a saltar la valla.The cat is going to jump the fence.
- Tienes que saltar para alcanzar la rama.You have to jump to reach the branch.
- No puedo saltar tan alto.I cannot jump so high.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are watching a gymnastics competition.
- Sofía¿Viste cómo puede saltar la atleta?Did you see how the athlete can jump?
- JavierSí, es impresionante saltar así.Yes, it is impressive to jump like that.
- SofíaJavier, mira el salto de ese niño.Javier, look at that boy's jump.
- JavierEs verdad, tiene mucha energía.It's true, he has a lot of energy.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry saltar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries saltar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
