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"Sway" is a noun which is often translated as "el vaivén", and "swing" is a noun which is often translated as "el columpio". Learn more about the difference between "sway" and "swing" below.
sway(
swey
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
1. (movement)
b. el balanceo (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The bell clanged with the sway of the red buoy.La campana repicaba con el balanceo de la boya roja.
c. la oscilación (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
She sat bored in class, watching the slow sway of the pendulum of the clock.Estaba sentada en clase, aburrida, mirando la lenta oscilación del péndulo del reloj.
a. el dominio (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The villagers were under the total sway of their overlord.Los aldeanos estaban bajo el dominio total de su señor.
b. la influencia (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
If you're a singer, you should meet my friend; she has a lot of sway in the music industry.Si eres cantante, deberías conocer a mi amiga; tiene mucha influencia en la industria de la música.
c. el influjo (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
He's a senator who has a lot of sway with progressive voters.Es un senador que tiene mucho influjo entre los votantes progresistas.
d. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
The Emperor brought the population under his sway.El emperador sojuzgó la población.
Wilhelm Griesinger's ideas held sway during the middle and late 19th century.Las ideas de Wilhelm Griesinger preponderaron a mediados y fines del siglo XIX.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
3. (to move)
a. balancearse
She had her eyes closed as she swayed to the music.Tenía los ojos cerrados mientras se balanceaba con la música.
b. bambolearse
The rumbero swayed to and fro, flicking his handkerchief at his dance partner.El rumbero se bamboleaba de un lado a otro, moviendo el pañuelo frente a su pareja de baile.
c. mecerse
The branches of the tree sway in the gentle breeze.La ramas del árbol se mecen en la suave brisa.
d. tambalearse (clumsily)
Sandra cackled and swayed drunkenly into the street.Sandra rió a carcajadas y salió tambaleándose a la calle por la borrachera.
e. oscilar (building)
From the top, I could feel the tower sway ever so slowly.Desde lo alto, podía sentir oscilar lentamente la torre.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
4. (to move)
a. menear
She grinded and swayed her hips to the pulse of reggaeton.Perreaba y meneaba las caderas al ritmo del reguetón.
a. influir en
Lobbyists are trying to sway the Supreme Court's ruling.Ciertos grupos de presión están pretendiendo influir en el dictamen de la Corte Suprema.
b. influenciar
I don't know if the protest will be able to sway the governor.No sé si las manifestaciones podrán influenciar al gobernador.
c. mover
I don't think he sways many voters, definitely not as many as his opponent.No creo que mueva muchos votantes, sin duda no tantos como su oponente.
swing(
swihng
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
a. el columpio (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The boy is playing on the swing.El niño está jugando en el columpio.
2. (movement)
a. la oscilación (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Each swing of the pendulum marks a second.Cada oscilación del péndulo marca un segundo.
b. el vaivén (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Every swing of the wrecking ball made a noise more terrible than the last.Cada vaivén de la bola de demolición hizo un ruido más terrible que el anterior.
c. el swing (M) (in sports)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
I am taking lessons to improve my golf swing.Estoy tomando clases para mejorar mi swing de golf.
3. (change)
b. la fluctuación (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The central bank intervened to curtail swings in the currency market.El banco central intervino para restringir las fluctuaciones del mercado de divisas.
4. (pace)
b. el brío (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
When Margo walked out of her interview, there was a notable swing in her step.Cuando Margo salió de la entrevista, se notaba que caminaba con brío.
5. (music)
6. (freedom)
a. la rienda suelta (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The regulators ignored their responsibilities and gave full swing to the banks.Los reguladores ignoraron sus responsabilidades y dieron rienda suelta a los bancos.
b. la carta blanca (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
They gave full swing to the guest chef to prepare a new dish.Le dieron carta blanca al chef invitado para preparar un platillo nuevo.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. balancear
The player swung the bat and hit the ball over the fence.El jugador balanceó el bate y golpeó la pelota por encima de la cerca.
b. blandir
The children pretended they were pirates and swung their toy swords in the air.Los niños fingían que eran piratas y blandían sus espadas de juguete en el aire.
9. (to pivot)
a. darse la vuelta
Lydia heard a noise and swung herself around to see what it was.Lydia escuchó un ruido y se dio la vuelta para ver lo que era.
10. (to influence)
a. llevar
The storm swung public opinion in favor of stricter emissions controls.La tormenta llevó la opinión pública a estar a favor de los controles más estrictos de las emisiones.
b. cambiar
They were not able to swing the vote to their candidate.No pudieron cambiar el resultado de las elecciones a favor de su candidato.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. balancearse
The pendulum will continue to swing until it runs out of momentum.El péndulo seguirá balanceándose hasta que pierda el impulso.
b. oscilar
The hypnotist's chain swings from side to side.La cadena del hipnotizador oscila de un lado a otro.
c. columpiarse (on playground equipment)
Carlos spent hours swinging at the park.Carlos pasó horas columpiándose en el parque.
12. (to pivot)
a. dar la vuelta
The officer drew his gun and swung around.El oficial sacó su arma y se dio la vuelta.
b. girar
The violence with which the weather vane was swinging had us all worried.La violencia con la que la veleta giraba nos tenía preocupados a todos.
c. abrirse
The car door swung open and out stepped a young man.La puerta del carro se abrió y se bajó un joven.
d. cerrarse
The door suddenly swung shut, scaring everyone in the room.La puerta se cerró de repente asustando a todos en la habitación.
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
The monkey swung across the cage from branch to branch.El mono cruzó la jaula de rama en rama.
The spider swung down to trap its prey.La araña saltó hacia abajo para atrapar su presa.
14. (to turn)
a. virar
Go straight for about a mile, then at the third light, swing left at the fork in the road.Sigue derecho por como una milla, luego en el tercer semáforo, vira a la izquierda en la bifurcación.
b. hacer un viraje
He headed straight for the goalkeeper, then swung left and scored.Se dirigió directamente hacia el portero, luego hizo un viraje a la izquierda y anotó.
15. (to change)
a. cambiar
Public opinion swung against him when his criminal record went public.La opinión pública cambió en su contra cuando se publicaron sus antecedentes.
b. oscilar
The working class vote determined whether the country would swing left or right.El voto de la clase trabajadora determinó si el país oscilaba hacia la izquierda o la derecha.
c. dar un viraje
The commentators on the news program were at a loss to explain why the country had swung to the left.Los comentaristas del noticiero no sabían cómo explicar por qué el país había dado un viraje a la izquierda.
16. (sexual)
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
I think your friend swings either way; I saw him flirting with boys and girls at the party.Me parece que a tu amigo le va la marcha, lo vi ligando con chicos y chicas en la fiesta.
Is John gay? – No, but he does swing both ways.¿John es gay? – No, pero sí es bisexual.
a. intentar pegar
Julia swung at the mosquito, but she missed it.Julia intentó pegarle al zancudo, pero no lo pegó.
18. (to be lively)
19. (to be hanged)
a. tocar con swing
This is a jazz song, so we have to swing.Esta es una canción de jazz, por lo que tenemos que tocar con swing.
