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November 30, 2022 by Luis F. Dominguez Spanish Vocabulary 0 comments

Essential Swimming Vocabulary in Spanish (100+ Words!)

Have you ever wondered how to say “swim” in Spanish? Would you like to learn some useful and popular swimming terms? 

If your answer to those questions are yes and yes, then you’re at the right place! 

Today, I’ll introduce you to all things related to swimming in Spanish. From the most basic swimming terminology, to swimming-related verbs and swimming phrases. 

Keep reading to learn helpful swim words for your next swimming lesson in Spanish. 

Also, here you’ll find out about indoor and outdoor swimming pools, oceans, lakes, and other bodies of water where you can swim!

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Spanish Vocabulary for Your Swimming Lessons

Before starting to swim, people usually take a few swimming lessons. So, let’s begin by learning some essential swimming terms you may hear during your swimming classes. 

Swimming Terminology

The following is a list of some of the most common swim words in Spanish. 

EnglishSpanish
swimming instructorel instructor de nado
coachel entrenador
studentel alumno, el estudiante
swimmingla natación
swimmer el nadador, la nadadora
swimming schoolla escuela de natación
swimming lessonslas clases de natación
traning sessionel entrenamiento
basic exerciseslos ejercicios básicos
practicela práctica
“Do you enjoy your swimming class?”

Verbs for Swimming

Some of the most important words to describe swimming in Spanish are verbs. So, let’s now find out the most common swimming-related verbs in Spanish. 

EnglishSpanish
to swimnadar
to strokebracear
to kickpatear, patalear
to breathrespirar
to divebucear
to dive insumergirse
to teachenseñar
to learnaprender
to trainentrenar
to dry offsecarse
to competecompetir
to winganar
to loseperder
to splashchapotear, salpicar
to floatflotar
“Stop splashing me so much.”

Swimming Styles

Some of the most important swimming terms you may hear in a swimming lesson are the different swimming styles.

EnglishSpanish
freestyle strokeel estilo libre
butterfly strokeel estilo mariposa
breakstrokeel estilo pecho
backstrokeel estilo dorso, el estilo espalda
side strokela marinera
treading waterla bicicleta
doggy paddlenadar de perrito
types of strokeslos estilos de natación
open water swimmingla natación en aguas abiertas

Swimming Phrases

If you want to swim in Spanish you’ll need to learn some commons swimming phrases and questions like these: 

EnglishSpanish
Learning to swimAprender a nadar
Do you know how to swim?¿Sabes nadar?
We’re going to start the lessonVamos a empezar la clase
The training session is overEl entrenamiento ha terminado
To warm upPara calentar
Is this your first lesson?¿Es tu primera clase?
Keep your breath inAguanta la respiración
What time does the lesson start?¿A qué hora empieza la clase?
Don’t be afraidNo tengas miedo
You can do it!¡Tú puedes hacerlo!

Example Spanish Conversations Between Swimming Instructor and Student

With all the new vocabulary you just learned, let’s try to put it together in a couple of example conversations between a swimming instructor and a student. 

Spanish Dialogue 1 (with English Translation)

– Hola, ¿es tu primera clase?

– Hola, sí. 

– ¿Sabes nadar?

– No. 

– No tengas miedo, ¡tú puedes hacerlo!

– Gracias. ¿A qué hora empieza la clase?

– A las 4:00 pm.

—

– Hi, is your first lesson?

– Hi, yes. 

– Do you know how to swim?

– No. 

– Don’t be afraid; you can do it!

– Thank you. What time does the lesson start?

– At 4:00 pm.

Spanish Dialogue 2 (with English Translation)

– Vamos a empezar la clase. 

– ¡Genial!

– Para calentar vamos a mover los brazos en círculos. 

– ¿Así, profesor?

– ¡Así, muy bien!

– Ahora, cada uno de ustedes tiene que nadar 200 metros estilo mariposa. 

– ¡Entendido!

—

– We’re going to start the lesson. 

– That’s great!

– To warm up, we’re going to move our arms in circles. 

– Like this, teacher?

– Like that, very good!

– Now, each of you must swim 200 meters butterfly stroke.

– Got it!

Swimming in a Pool: Spanish Vocabulary

So, how do you say swimming pool in Spanish? 

In this section, I’m introducing you to the most useful Spanish vocabulary for swimming pools. 

Indoor Swimming Pools

Let’s start with the swimming terms mostly used in indoor swimming pools.  

EnglishSpanish
swimming poolla piscina
indoor swimming poolla piscina techada
changing roomlos vestidores
trunksel bañador
swimsuitel traje de baño
bikiniel biquini
swimming capel gorro de nado
swimming bagla bolsa de nado
lockerslos armarios
showerla ducha, la regadera
goggleslos lentes de nado
diving boardel trampolín
nose clipla pinza nasal
flippers, finslas aletas de buceo
“My swimming cap is blue.”

Outdoor Swimming Pools

If you want to swim in Spanish, you’re going to need some vocabulary for outdoor swimming pools too. 

EnglishSpanish
sunblockel bloqueador
tanning oilel bronceador
towella toalla
sunglasseslas gafas de sol, los lentes de sol
life jacketel chaleco salvavidas
lifesaverel guardavidas
swimming bagla bolsa de nado
lockerslos armarios
showerla ducha, la regadera
goggleslos lentes de nado
floaterslos flotadores
inflatable raftla balsa inflable

Swimming in the Ocean: Spanish Vocabulary

Finally, you can also swim in the ocean and other natural bodies of water such as lakes, rivers or even sacred cenotes!

EnglishSpanish
oceanel océano
seael mar
wetsuitel traje de neopreno
riptidelas aguas revueltas
high tidela marea alta
low tidela marea baja
wavela ola
beachla playa
umbrellala sombrilla
sandla arena
sand castleel castillo de arena
rockla roca
stonela piedra
cavela cueva
lakeel lago
riverel río
waterfallla cascada, la catarata

Other Ocean-Based Activities

Last but not least, here you have some vocabulary that isn’t about exactly swim in Spanish, but about other activities that you can also practice in the ocean. 

EnglishSpanish
to surfsurfear
to kayakpracticar kayak
to snorkelpracticar snorkel
to sailnavegar
to scuba divebucear
to fishpescar
to sunbathtomar el sol
to runcorrer

At this point, I strongly recommend you to read Talk About Your Trip to the Beach, which includes more useful vocabulary about beach-related topics and activities. 

Start Using These Essential Swimming Terms in Spanish

There are plenty of swimming terms in Spanish in this post. 

Practice them and start introducing them into your conversations about swimming and how to swim in Spanish. That way, the next time you go to a sunny Spanish-speaking beach town, you’ll be ready to actually “swim in Spanish!”

You’re Doing Swimmingly!

Now you know a ton of swimming in Spanish vocabulary. Keep up the good work in Spanish! Take a free class with a friendly, certified, native-speaking teacher at Homeschool Spanish Academy (see also: #1 on this list). With over a decade of experience and more than 20,000 active students, we know how to give each person the Spanish content they need to attain Spanish fluency.

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Luis F. Dominguez
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Luis F. Dominguez
Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
Luis F. Domínguez is a freelance writer and independent journalist interested in travel, languages, art, books, history, philosophy, politics and sports. He has written for Fodor’s, Yahoo!, Sports Illustrated, Telemundo, and Villa Experience, among other brands of print and digital media in Europe and North America.
Luis F. Dominguez
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