How to Say "Swimmer" in Spanish

nadador

/nadaˈdoɾ/masculine

The English word 'swimmer' is nadador in Spanish.

nadador is a noun used to describe a person who swims.

Meaning: one who swims (noun)

How does it change in a sentence?

The feminine singular form is nadadora, the masculine plural form is nadadores and the feminine plural form is nadadoras.

/nadaˈdoɾ/

The Spanish word nadador is a direct descendant of the Latin word natātōrem, which also gave English the word 'natation' to describe the act of swimming.
While nadador refers to a person who swims, the verb nadar is also used in the idiom nadar contra corriente, meaning 'to swim against the current' or to struggle against prevailing opinions.
In many Spanish-speaking countries, if you call someone a nadador in a professional context, it specifically implies they are a competitive athlete rather than someone who just enjoys swimming for fun.

Ken es buen nadador.
Ken is a good swimmer.
This sentence is useful for describing someone's skill level with the form nadador.
Tatoeba #13622755 by Seael, translation #1595343 by CP
Soy un veloz nadador.
I am a fast swimmer.
This sentence is useful for describing someone's speed with the form nadador.
Tatoeba #1491460 by marcelostockle, translation #1154013 by belgavox
Nunca fui un buen nadador.
I never was much of a swimmer.
This sentence is useful for talking about past ability with the form nadador.
Tatoeba #8416873 by arh, translation #5851668 by CK
En los Juegos Olímpicos, los nadadores profesionales compiten por medallas.
In the Olympic Games, professional swimmers compete for medals.
Ella es una nadadora destacada en el club de natación.
She is an outstanding swimmer at the swim club.
17 more sentences on Tatoeba

Alejandro and Elena are talking at a local sports club.

Sources

Wiktionary, “swimmer” translations and entries nadador, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries nadador, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏