bailar
/baiˈlaɾ/
To dance in Spanish is bailar.
bailar means to move your body rhythmically to music. When you want to say you are dancing with a specific person, use the preposition con after the verb, as in bailar con alguien.
Which one should you use?
While bailar is the verb used for the act of dancing, baile is the noun used to refer to a dance or a specific dance style.
How does it change in a sentence?
bailar is a regular -ar verb, which means it follows the standard conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -ar.
How do you pronounce it?
/baiˈlaɾ/
Did you know?
- The verb bailar shares an unexpected ancestor with the English word 'throw'. It traces back to the Ancient Greek verb βάλλω, meaning 'to throw'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the phrase dar un baile can literally mean 'to give a dance', but idiomally it can be used to describe tricking or fooling someone.
- In Spain, the tradition of the baile flamenco involves an intense emotional connection called duende, which is a mysterious power that allows a dancer to move a crowd through raw passion.
Examples in context
- Yo ni sé bailar.I don't even know how to dance.This sentence shows how to express a lack of ability to use bailar.Tatoeba #6157049 by marcelostockle, translation #3672940 by Hybrid
- La saqué a bailar.I asked her to dance.This sentence shows how to use bailar when asking someone to dance.Tatoeba #943743 by hayastan, translation #1344888 by CK
- Tom no sabe bailar.Tom doesn't know how to dance.This sentence shows how to express that someone does not know how to use bailar.Tatoeba #1530591 by marcelostockle, translation #1094466 by CK
- Ellos bailan muy bien juntos.They dance very well together.
- Vamos a bailar esta noche.Let's go dancing tonight.
- Me encanta bailar salsa.I love to dance salsa.
- ¡Baila como nadie está mirando!Dance like nobody's watching!
- Me gustaría aprender a danzar el tango.I would like to learn to dance the tango.
- ¡Baila con alegría!Dance with joy!
- 88 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a party with music playing.
- LucíaAlejandro, ¿quieres bailar?Alejandro, do you want to dance?
- AlejandroSí, me encanta bailar.Yes, I love to dance.
- LucíaEsta canción es perfecta para bailar.This song is perfect for dancing.
- Alejandro¡Vamos!Let's go!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bailar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bailar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
