patinar
/patiˈnaɾ/
To skate in Spanish is patinar.
The verb patinar means to move across a surface using ice skates or roller skates. To be more specific, you can use the phrase patinar sobre hielo to mean to ice skate or patinar sobre ruedas to mean to roller skate. In Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, patinar can also mean to slide or to skid.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the informal expression andar en patineta is commonly used to say 'to skateboard'. In Argentina and Uruguay, you can use either andar en skate or hacer skate to express the action of skateboarding.
How does it change in a sentence?
The imperfect indicative form of patinar is patinaba, which translates to 'I/he/she/it used to skate' or 'was skating'. The first-person singular future indicative form is patinaré, meaning 'I will skate'. If you want to refer to the person performing the action, use the noun patinador for a masculine skater or patinadora for a feminine skater.
How do you pronounce it?
/patiˈnaɾ/
Did you know?
- In a sporting context, patinar can be used as a metaphor in Spanish to describe a mistake. If a politician or athlete patina, it means they have 'slipped up' or lost their footing in an argument.
- The verb patinar is rooted in the Ancient Greek word πᾰτᾰ́νη, which referred to a flat dish.
Examples in context
- Es seguro patinar en este lago.It is safe to skate on this lake.This sentence shows how to use patinar to describe safety on a lake.Tatoeba #483435 by Shishir, translation #59365 by CK
- ¿Es seguro patinar sobre este lago?Is it safe to skate on this lake?This sentence uses patinar to ask if it is safe to skate on a lake.Tatoeba #4622771 by saverius, translation #4622705 by CK
- Yo no esquío pero me gusta mucho patinar.I don't ski, but I really like to skate.This sentence uses patinar to express a preference for skating over skiing.Tatoeba #523795 by hayastan, translation #707163 by papabear
- ¿Quieres andar en patineta mañana?Do you want to skateboard tomorrow?
- Me gusta ver a los jóvenes andar en patineta en el parque.I enjoy watching young people skateboard in the park.
- La próxima vez que visites, debes montar en patín con nosotros.Next time you visit, you should skate with us.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are talking at a local park.
- DanielElena, ¿quieres patinar conmigo?Elena, do you want to skate with me?
- ElenaSí, me encanta patinar en el parque.Yes, I love skating in the park.
- Daniel¡Genial! Yo traigo mis patines.Great! I'll bring my skates.
- ElenaPerfecto, yo también traeré los míos.Perfect, I will bring mine too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry patinar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries patinar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
