girar
/xiˈɾaɾ/
The English verb to swirl can be translated into Spanish as girar or arremolinar.
Meaning: to twist or whirl (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| girar | /xiˈɾaɾ/ |
| arremolinar | /aremoliˈnaɾ/ |
The verb girar is a general term for rotating, turning or spinning on an axis. If you are describing the specific motion of being caught in a vortex of air, water or dust, use arremolinar. If you need to refer to the physical object itself, such as a whirlwind, eddy or whirlpool, use the noun remolino.
Which one should you use?
Use girar when you mean to rotate, turn or spin. In contrast, arremolinar is used specifically when describing a swirling or eddying motion like a whirlwind or the action of whirling in a vortex.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The gerund form girando is used to describe the continuous action of spinning or turning.
How do you pronounce it?
/xiˈɾaɾ/
Did you know?
- In some contexts, girar can be used as a financial term meaning to 'issue' or 'draw' a check, reflecting the 'turning' or processing of a document.
- Spanish uses the word remolino for a whirlwind, a whirlpool and a spiral of smoke, as the language treats these different elements as the same physical phenomenon.
- The word remolino is a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'mill', as both trace back to the same ancient root describing the grinding motion of grain.
Examples in context
- El viento creó un remolino de hojas secas.The wind created a swirl of dry leaves.
- Observa cómo el café forma un remolino al añadir la leche caliente.Watch as the coffee forms a swirl when adding hot milk.
- ¡Mira cómo las pinturas dan vueltas al mezclarse!Look at how the paints swirl when mixing!
- Los remolinos en el río dan vueltas sin cesar.The swirls in the river keep swirling incessantly.
- Las pinturas parecen girar en el lienzo.The paints seem to swirl on the canvas.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are watching a small whirlpool in a river.
- DanielSofía, mira cómo gira el agua allí.Sofía, look at how the water swirls there.
- SofíaEs increíble cómo gira con tanta fuerza.It is incredible how it swirls with such force.
- DanielParece que va a girar más rápido.It looks like it is going to swirl faster.
- SofíaTienes razón, Daniel, es muy rápido.You are right, Daniel, it is very fast.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “swirl” translations and entries girar, arremolinar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries arremolinar, girar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
