balancearse
/balanθeaɾse/from spelling rules
To swing in Spanish is balancearse.
The verb balancearse describes the general action of moving back and forth or from side to side while hanging or suspended. If you are describing gentle rocking or swaying movements, you might use the verb mecer. When discussing swinging as a leisure activity, the phrase jugar en el columpio is used.
Which one should you use?
While balancearse refers to the general motion of swinging or swaying, columpiarse is used specifically when someone is playing on a playground swing.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the verb balancear is often used to describe swinging motions.
How does it change in a sentence?
Balancearse is a reflexive verb, which means the action is performed by the subject upon themselves or is an inherent movement of the subject.
How do you pronounce it?
/balanθeaɾse/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American dialects, people use the verb colgarse, which literally means 'to hang oneself', to simply describe swinging from a branch or a bar.
- The word columpiarse can be used figuratively to describe someone who is 'overstepping' or 'taking liberties' with another person's boundaries.
- The verb balancearse is closely related to the word balanza, which means 'scale', linking the motion of swinging to a weighing scale seeking equilibrium.
Examples in context
- El abuelo mece al bebé en la hamacaThe grandfather rocks the baby in the swing
- Los niños están columpiándose en el patioThe children are swinging in the backyard
- Se balanceaba en el columpioHe/she was swinging on the swing
- Me encanta ir al parque y columpiarmeI love going to the park and swinging
- El niño se balancea en la hamaca.The boy swings in the hammock.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
