deslizar
/desliˈθaɾ/
The English verb 'swipe' is translated into Spanish as deslizar.
In the context of touch screens, deslizar is the term used to describe the action of swiping or sliding a finger across the screen. You can use this to indicate direction by adding the direction to the phrase, such as deslizar hacia la derecha for 'swipe right' or deslizar hacia la izquierda for 'swipe left'.
Meaning: to interact with a touch screen (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The verb deslizar literally means 'to slide'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the continuous action of swiping, you use the gerund form deslizando.
How do you pronounce it?
/desliˈθaɾ/
Did you know?
- Beyond screens, the noun desliz is used to describe a moral lapse or a social indiscretion, such as an accidental romantic affair.
- Linguists believe the root of deslizar may be onomatopoeic, meaning the word was originally designed to mimic the actual sound of something sliding.
- While deslizar is the correct term, some tech-savvy Spanish speakers use the hybrid loanword swipear, which blends English and Spanish grammar.
Examples in context
- Por favor, pase su tarjeta de créditoPlease swipe your credit card
- Asegúrese de deslizar la tarjeta correctamenteMake sure to swipe the card correctly
- Desliza hacia la derecha para aceptarSwipe right to accept
- Desliza la tarjeta para hacer la compraSwipe the card to make the purchase
- Por favor, desliza tu tarjeta de débito para realizar el pago.Please swipe your debit card to make the payment.
- No olvides pasar la tarjeta en el lector para abrir la puerta.Don't forget to swipe the card on the reader to open the door.
- Para cambiar de foto, desliza hacia la izquierda.To change the photo, swipe left.
- Tienes que deslizar el dedo hacia arriba.You have to swipe your finger upwards.
- Deslizar la pantalla es muy fácil.Swiping the screen is very easy.
- Voy a deslizar la foto a la izquierda.I am going to swipe the photo to the left.
Example conversation
Sofía is showing Alejandro how to use a new app.
- SofíaMira, solo tienes que deslizar aquí.Look, you just have to swipe here.
- AlejandroNo pasa nada cuando lo hago.Nothing happens when I do it.
- SofíaPrueba deslizar el dedo más lento.Try swiping your finger slower.
- AlejandroAh, ya entiendo cómo funciona.Ah, now I understand how it works.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “swipe” translations and entries deslizar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries deslizar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
