patinar
/patiˈnaɾ/
To skate in Spanish is patinar.
The verb patinar is used to describe the action of moving along a surface using skates, covering both ice skating and roller skating. If you want to refer to the act itself as a noun, use patinaje. The noun for the equipment used is patín, and its plural form is patines. For example, inline skates are specifically called patines de línea.
Meaning: to move along a surface (ice or ground) using skates (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, the word skate is commonly used to refer to a skateboard. Additionally, in many Spanish-speaking regions, the informal phrase Andar en patineta is used to mean skateboarding.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
patinar is a regular -ar verb. The plural form of the noun patín is patines.
How do you pronounce it?
/patiˈnaɾ/
Did you know?
- In a metaphorical sense, patinar is used in Spanish to describe someone who is losing their grip on a conversation or making mistakes in their reasoning, similar to the English 'slipping up'.
- The word patín shares a root with the English word 'patina', which refers to the green film that forms on bronze or copper.
- In Spanish, patinar is the standard term used to describe a car's tires skidding or spinning when they lose traction on a road.
Examples in context
- ¿Cuán bien puedes patinar?How well can you skate?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's ability to patinar.Tatoeba #4872447 by ecorralest101, translation #3022602 by sharptoothed
- ¿Puedes patinar sobre hielo?Can you skate?This sentence is useful for asking if someone can patinar on ice.Tatoeba #4757185 by DarkHollow, translation #70016 by CK
- Es seguro patinar en este lago.It is safe to skate on this lake.This sentence is useful for stating the safety of patinar on a lake.Tatoeba #483435 by Shishir, translation #59365 by CK
- Me gusta patinar en el parque los fines de semanaI like to skate in the park on weekends
- Vamos a patinar en línea en el parque este sábadoLet's go inline skating in the park this Saturday
- Me encanta andar en patineta en el parque de mi barrioI love skateboarding in the park in my neighborhood
- En Galicia, algunos niños prefieren andar en monopatín en lugar de bicicletaIn Galicia, some children prefer to ride a skateboard instead of a bicycle
- En Buenos Aires puedes encontrar varios parques para hacer skateIn Buenos Aires, you can find several parks for skating
- Puedes patinar sobre hielo o sobre ruedasYou can skate on ice or on wheels
- Quiero aprender a patinar en línea, pero necesito comprar unos patines primeroI want to learn to inline skate, but I need to buy some skates first
- Los adolescentes suelen andar en patineta en este parque los domingosTeenagers often skateboard in this park on Sundays
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Mateo are at an ice rink.
- MaríaMateo, ¿quieres patinar conmigo?Mateo, do you want to skate with me?
- MateoSí, pero soy un patinador lento.Yes, but I am a slow skater.
- MaríaNo te preocupes, yo te ayudaré.Don't worry, I will help you.
- MateoGracias, María, eres muy amable.Thank you, María, you are very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “skate” translations and entries patinar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries patinar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
