intercambiar
/inteɾkamˈbjaɾ/
To swap out in Spanish is intercambiar.
Which one should you use?
While intercambiar implies a mutual exchange between two parties or objects, cambiar is more commonly used if you are simply replacing one thing with another without a reciprocal trade.
How does it change in a sentence?
intercambiar is a regular verb in the present tense. You conjugate it like a standard -ar verb, such as intercambio, intercambias or intercambia.
How do you pronounce it?
/inteɾkamˈbjaɾ/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American countries, the phrase cambiar el chip is used figuratively to mean 'swapping out' your mindset or changing your attitude toward a situation.
- While intercambiar means to swap, the word cambio is also used to describe the 'change' or 'small coins' you receive after a purchase.
- While intercambiar is used for objects, the word cambio can also refer to a gear shift in a manual car, essentially 'swapping out' one gear for another.
Examples in context
- Necesito reemplazar el viejo monitor por uno nuevo.I need to swap out the old monitor for a new one.
- Decidieron sustituir al director de la empresa.They decided to swap out the director of the company.
- Es hora de cambiar el aceite en mi automóvil.It's time to swap out the oil in my car.
- Voy a cambiar mi teléfono por uno nuevo.I'm going to swap out my phone for a new one.
- Decidieron poner a Pedro en lugar de Ana como el líder del equipo.They decided to swap out Ana with Pedro as the team leader.
- Vamos a hacer un intercambio de libros.We're going to swap out books.
- Vamos a intercambiar las piezas del motor.We are going to swap out the engine parts.
- Necesito intercambiar esta pieza vieja por una nueva.I need to swap out this old part for a new one.
- Podemos intercambiar el monitor si no funciona bien.We can swap out the monitor if it doesn't work well.
- ¿Quieres intercambiar tu batería por una cargada?Do you want to swap out your battery for a charged one?
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are organizing their office desks.
- JavierElena, ¿quieres intercambiar tu silla por la mía?Elena, do you want to swap out your chair for mine?
- ElenaSí, la mía es muy incómoda.Yes, mine is very uncomfortable.
- JavierPerfecto, vamos a intercambiar las sillas ahora.Perfect, let's swap out the chairs now.
- ElenaGracias, Javier. Esta es mucho mejor.Thanks, Javier. This one is much better.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry intercambiar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
