Bailar

Bailar is the Spanish verb meaning "to dance." It is a regular verb of the -ar conjugation, used to describe the action of moving the body to music, in social, artistic, and recreational contexts. The verb can be used with various prepositional phrases and objects, such as dancing with someone or dancing a specific style.

Etymology and usage context: Bailar derives from Latin ballare, which in turn comes from the Greek balllein, meaning to leap or to dance. Over time, baila became the common form in spoken Spanish, spreading across Spanish-speaking regions. The verb appears in everyday speech, in classrooms, media, and cultural activities, and is often paired with nouns describing dances (tango, salsa, flamenco) or musical references.

Conjugation and examples: Bailar is conjugated regularly in the present tense: yo bailo, tú bailas, él baila, nosotros bailamos, vosotros bailáis, ellos bailan. The pretérito perfecto simple (preterite) forms are: bailé, bailaste, bailó, bailamos, bailasteis, bailaron. The imperfect tense is bailaba, bailabas, bailaba, bailábamos, bailabais, bailaban. For the subjunctive, forms include baile, bailes, baile, bailemos, bailéis, bailen. Example sentences: “Ella baila salsa todos los viernes.” “Ayer ellos bailaron un tango.” “Quiero que bailes conmigo en la fiesta.”

Cultural notes: Bailar es una habilidad valorada en muchas culturas hispanohablantes y suele asociarse con celebraciones, música y danza tradicional o contemporánea. Danzas específicas como flamenco, tango, salsa y merengue ilustran la diversidad de estilos que se pueden expresar mediante el verbo bailar.