nadar
/naˈdaɾ/
The Spanish phrase for "to swim" is nadar.
nadar is used specifically to mean the act of moving through water using your arms and legs. It should not be confused with bañar, which means to bathe or shower.
How does it change in a sentence?
The gerund form for the continuous action of swimming is nadando. If you want to say "I swam", use the first-person singular preterite form nadé. For the second-person singular future tense, "you will swim" is expressed as nadarás. Additionally, you can refer to a person who swims using the nouns un nadador for a male swimmer or una nadadora for a female swimmer.
How do you pronounce it?
/naˈdaɾ/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the phrase nadar contra la corriente means 'to swim against the current', but it is frequently used as an idiom to describe someone who defies social norms or popular opinion.
- The verb nadar shares its ancient roots with the Latin word natō, which means 'to float' or 'to swim'.
- In Spanish, if you say you are going to the beach to bañarse, you might not actually be swimming. It often simply means dipping in the water or cooling off without doing laps.
Examples in context
- ¿Va Tom a nadar?Is Tom going to swim?This sentence uses nadar to ask about a future intention.Tatoeba #4344963 by pchamorro, translation #3820409 by CK
- Le enseñé a nadar.I taught him how to swim.This sentence uses nadar to describe the act of teaching a skill.Tatoeba #1314097 by Shishir, translation #284981 by CK
- No me gusta nadar.I don't like to swim.This sentence uses nadar to express a personal preference.Tatoeba #3774692 by Shishir, translation #8818516 by CK
- Me gusta nadar en el océanoI like to swim in the ocean
- Mi hijo practica la natación desde muy jovenMy son has been practicing swimming since he was very young
- En verano, siempre me gusta echarme un chapuzón en el ríoIn summer, I always like to take a dip in the river
- Yo nadoI swim
- Tú nadasYou swim
- Me encuentro más tranquilo nadando en el marI feel more relaxed swimming in the sea
- 181 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are at a hotel near the beach.
- DanielMaría, ¿quieres nadar en el mar?María, do you want to swim in the sea?
- MaríaSí, me encanta nadar.Yes, I love to swim.
- DanielEl agua está muy fría hoy.The water is very cold today.
- MaríaNo importa, yo voy a nadar de todos modos.It doesn't matter, I am going to swim anyway.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry nadar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nadar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
