Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| saltar | /salˈtaɾ/ |
| saltear | /salteˈaɾ/ |
Use these terms when you want to express the idea of omitting or disregarding intermediate items, stages or steps in a process.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb saltar literally means 'to jump', and using it to mean 'skipping' an item is a metaphorical extension of the idea of jumping over something.
Which one should you use?
While saltar is the standard verb for skipping steps or items, saltear is a distinct verb that primarily means 'to sauté' food in a pan. Although saltear is occasionally used in very specific contexts to mean skipping or omitting, it is most commonly a culinary term.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are expressing the act of skipping a specific object or event, such as a meal, a class or a step, the reflexive form saltarse is frequently used in natural Spanish.
How do you pronounce it?
/salˈtaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use saltear when they mean saltar because the words look similar, but saltear primarily refers to cooking techniques.
Did you know?
- The culinary term saltear actually comes from the noun salto, meaning 'jump'. This is because the food is meant to jump or bounce in the pan during the cooking process.
- While saltar is used for skipping steps, using the reflexive form saltarse can often add a nuance of 'missing out' or 'avoiding' something one should have done.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, if you say you saltaste a step, people will picture you physically leaping over an obstacle rather than omitting a task.
Examples in context
- ¿Podrías saltarte la introducción?Could you skip the introduction?This sentence shows how to use saltar to ask about skipping an introduction.Tatoeba #11092823 by Curro, translation #13271060 by frpzzd
- Haz click aquí para saltar este anuncio.Click here to skip this ad.This sentence uses saltar in the context of skipping an advertisement.Tatoeba #2718389 by caiser, translation #2718086 by Hybrid
- Vladimir decidió saltarse el resto del colegio ese día.Vladimir decided to skip the rest of school that day.This sentence demonstrates the use of the reflexive form saltarse when skipping school.Tatoeba #12253079 by Fueyes, translation #11934024 by Amastan
- Por favor, omita la primera pregunta del cuestionario.Please skip the first question in the questionnaire.
- El conferencista omitió mencionar ese dato en su presentación.The speaker omitted mentioning that data in his presentation.
- Me encantaría ir al cine, pero prefiero saltarme la película de terror.I'd love to go to the movies, but I prefer to skip the horror film.
- Juan intentó evitar el trabajo de grupo porque no le gusta colaborar con otros.Juan tried to skip group work because he doesn't like collaborating with others.
- Decidí evitar el postre hoy para cuidar mi salud.I decided to skip dessert today to take care of my health.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are reading a long document together.
- Lucía¿Quieres saltar los párrafos más largos?Do you want to skip the longest paragraphs?
- AlejandroSí, prefiero saltar esa sección para ir más rápido.Yes, I prefer to skip that section to go faster.
- LucíaEstá bien, vamos a saltar lo que no sea importante.Okay, let's skip what isn't important.
- AlejandroAsí terminaremos de leer mucho antes.That way we will finish reading much sooner.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “skip” translations and entries saltar, saltear, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries saltar, saltear, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
