girar

Girar is a common Spanish verb with several related meanings centered on movement and direction. The primary sense is to turn, rotate, or revolve something: a person or object can girar about an axis, and a vehicle can girar to change course. It is also used with directions, as in girar a la izquierda or girar hacia el norte, meaning to turn or veer toward a direction. figuratively, the verb can describe a change in focus or a storyline’s center of attention, as in la historia gira en torno a un secreto.

In addition to physical movement, girar has specialized uses in finance and administration. In many Spanish-speaking regions, it means to issue or draw a bill or check, for example, girar un cheque. The noun giro refers to a money transfer, financial order, or check, and is common in banking and postal contexts: efectuar un giro, recibir un giro, or cambiar un giro. The verb can also appear in expressions related to payments and remittances.

Etymology and usage notes: girar derives from Latin gyrāre or related Romance forms, linked to the idea of turning. It is a regular -ar verb, with standard conjugation in all tenses (present: giro, giras, gira, giramos, giráis, giran; preterite: giré, giraste, giró, giramos, girasteis, giraron; imperfect: giraba, etc.). It is widely used across Spanish-speaking regions, with some regional preferences for noun usage (giro) in financial contexts.

See also: giro, girado, giroseco.