improvisar
/impɾobiˈsaɾ/
To play it by ear in Spanish is improvisar.
The phrase is used to describe deciding how to deal with a situation as it develops rather than following a fixed plan. While the English idiom uses a musical metaphor, the Spanish equivalent improvisar is a direct verb meaning to improvise or act without a plan.
How does it change in a sentence?
improvisar is a regular -ar verb. For example, the first-person plural present indicative is improvisamos (we play it by ear / we are improvising). The past participle is improvisado, which can be used as an adjective meaning "improvised".
How do you pronounce it?
/impɾobiˈsaɾ/
Did you know?
- The root of improvisar is related to the English word 'provide', as both stem from the Latin root meaning 'to see ahead'.
- In Spanish, the word improvisado can describe a person who has been appointed to a role without the necessary qualifications or preparation.
- While improvisar is used for plans, Spanish speakers often use the phrase sobre la marcha to describe doing something 'on the fly' as they go.
Examples in context
- Debemos estar preparados para improvisar durante la presentación.We should be prepared to play it by ear during the presentation.
- Vamos a seguir el curso de los acontecimientos y tomar decisiones de manera acorde.We will play it by ear and make decisions accordingly.
- Deberemos adaptarnos sobre la marcha según las circunstancias.We'll need to play it by ear according to the circumstances.
- No tengo un plan concreto, vamos a ver sobre la marcha.I don't have a specific plan, let's play it by ear.
- No tenemos un plan, vamos a improvisar.We don't have a plan, we're going to play it by ear.
- Prefiero improvisar sobre la marcha.I prefer to play it by ear as we go.
- Si el clima cambia, tendremos que improvisar.If the weather changes, we will have to play it by ear.
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are discussing their weekend plans.
- Lucía¿A qué hora nos vemos el sábado?What time shall we meet on Saturday?
- MateoNo lo sé, mejor improvisar.I don't know, it's better to play it by ear.
- LucíaEstá bien, me avisas el mismo día.That's fine, let me know on the day.
- MateoPerfecto, hablamos el sábado entonces.Perfect, we'll talk on Saturday then.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry improvisar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
