saltar
Lemma Details
Translation: to jump; to leap; to skip; to hop; to bounce
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: From Latin 'saltare', which means 'to dance' or 'to jump', a frequentative form of 'salire' (to leap). The English words 'somersault' and 'assault' share this Latin root. The evolution from dancing to jumping shows how physical movement concepts evolved in Romance languages.
Commonality: 85%
Guessability: 60%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
El niño saltó sobre el charco.
The boy jumped over the puddle.
Los atletas saltan muy alto.
The athletes jump very high.
Me salta el corazón cuando te veo.
My heart leaps when I see you.
Saltó de alegría al recibir la noticia.
She jumped for joy upon receiving the news.
Se saltó varias páginas del libro.
He skipped several pages of the book.
Mnemonics
- Think of a 'salt shaker' jumping up and down as you shake it
- Sounds like 'assault', which involves a sudden movement forward (like a jump)
- SALTAr - 'Salt' makes you jump up when you taste too much of it
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking cultures, 'saltar' is used in many idiomatic expressions related to emotions and reactions. It's also common in children's games like 'la cuerda' (jump rope) and 'la rayuela' (hopscotch).
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Saltar' means 'to jump' while 'soltar' means 'to release' or 'to let go'. They look and sound similar but have different meanings.
Confused word:
Soltó el globo y voló hacia el cielo.
He released the balloon and it flew toward the sky.
Notes: Both verbs are regular -ar verbs but describe very different physical actions.
Mnemonic: 'Saltar' has an 'a' like 'jump' has an 'u' (both vowels in the middle); 'soltar' has an 'o' like 'let go' has two 'o's.
Explanation: 'Saltar' means 'to jump' while 'faltar' means 'to be missing' or 'to lack'. They rhyme but have unrelated meanings.
Notes: Both are common verbs in everyday Spanish but describe completely different concepts.
Mnemonic: 'Faltar' starts with 'F' like 'fail to have'; 'saltar' starts with 'S' like 'spring up'.