Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| desplazar | /desplaˈθaɾ/ /desplaˈsaɾ/ |
| scrolear | /eskɾoleˈaɾ/ |
In a computing context, this refers to the action of changing one's view of data on a display. If you wish to refer to the act of scrolling itself as a noun, use the form desplazamiento. If you are referring to physical objects like a roll of paper or parchment, you may use rollo or pergamino, while voluta refers to a scroll in the sense of an ornament.
Which one should you use?
desplazar is the standard, formal term for scrolling used in technical or professional contexts, whereas scrolear is a common anglicism used in informal settings and among younger internet users.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
desplazar is the formal option suitable for professional or technical documentation. scrolear is informal and typically used in casual conversation or by younger generations online.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When describing the action of the screen moving or the user moving through content, the reflexive form desplazarse is often used.
How do you pronounce it?
/desplaˈθaɾ/
Did you know?
- While desplazar means to scroll, it is also the standard word for 'displacing' a person from their home or 'shifting' a meeting to a new date.
- The word desplazar is built from plaza, meaning 'square' or 'open space'. It literally describes the act of moving something away from its place.
- Spanish uses the suffix -ear to turn English verbs into Spanish ones, as seen in scrolear. This same pattern created common words like tuitear for 'to tweet' and googlear for 'to google'.
Examples in context
- El explorador desenrolló el documento antiguo y comenzó a leerlo con gran interés.The explorer unrolled the ancient scroll and began reading it with great interest.
- El pergamino contiene valiosos textos medievales escritos a mano.The parchment scroll contains valuable handwritten medieval texts.
- Mira este rollo que encontré en el desván, ¡parece muy antiguo!Look at this scroll I found in the attic, it seems very ancient!
- Encontré este antiguo papiro abandonado en una tienda de antigüedades.I found this old papyrus left behind in an antique store.
- Puedes desplazar la página hacia abajo.You can scroll the page down.
- Necesito desplazar el texto para leerlo todo.I need to scroll the text to read it all.
Example conversation
Javier and María are looking at a long document on a computer screen.
- JavierMaría, ¿puedes desplazar el documento hasta el final?María, can you scroll the document to the end?
- MaríaSí, Javier, ya lo estoy haciendo.Yes, Javier, I am doing it now.
- JavierGracias, es un archivo muy largo.Thanks, it is a very long file.
- MaríaNo hay problema, lo termino de leer.No problem, I will finish reading it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “scroll” translations and entries desplazar, scrolear, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries desplazar, scrolear, CC BY-SA 4.0.
