andar
intransitive verb
1 (ir a pie) to walk; (moverse) to move; (viajar) to travel around
iremos andando a la estación we'll walk to the station; vinimos andando we walked here; we came on foot; el tren empezó a andar the train started moving; la máquina empezó a andar the machine started up
anduvieron por Jamaica y Cuba they travelled around Jamaica and Cuba
andar a caballo to ride
andar tras algo/algn to be after sth/sb
andar tras una chica to be o chase after a girl
2 (funcionar) to go; work
el reloj no anda the clock won't go; the clock isn't working; el reloj anda bien the clock keeps good time; ¿cómo anda esto? how does this work?
3 (estar) to be
no sé por dónde anda I don't know where he is; anda por aquí it's around here somewhere; seguro que ese anda por Brasil he's bound to be somewhere in Brazil; andar alegre to be o feel cheerful; hay que andar con cuidado you have to be careful; últimamente ando muy liado I've been very busy lately; andar bien de salud to be well; be in good health; andamos mal de dinero we're badly off for money; we're short of money; ¿cómo andan las cosas? how are things?; ¿cómo anda eso? how are things going?; ¿qué tal andas? how are you?
¿cómo andas de tabaco? how are you off for cigarettes?; ando escaso de tiempo I am pushed for time
de andar por casa
ropa de andar por casa clothes for wearing around the house; un montaje muy de andar por casa a rough-and-ready production; justicia de andar por casa rough-and-ready justice
andan como Pedro por su casa they act as if they owned the place
quien mal anda, mal acaba you get what you deserve
4 (rebuscar)
¡no andes ahí! keep away from there!; andar en to rummage around in; han estado andando en el armario they've been rummaging around in the cupboard; no andes en mis cosas keep out of my things
5
andar a
siempre andan a gritos they're always shouting; andan a la greña o a la gresca they're at each other's throats
6
andar con algn to go around with sb
anda con una chica francesa he goes around with a French girl
dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres a man is known by the company he keeps
7
andar en (estar implicado en) to be involved in
andar en pleitos to be engaged o involved in lawsuits; anda en la droga he's involved with drugs
sospecho que anda en ello Rosa I suspect Rosa is involved
¿en qué andas? what are you up to?
8
andar haciendo algo to be doing sth
¿qué andas buscando? what are you looking for?; ando buscando un socio I'm looking for a partner; no andes criticándolo todo el tiempo stop criticizing him all the time
9
andar por (rondar)
anda por los 50 he's about 50; el pueblo anda por los 1.000 habitantes the village has about 1,000 inhabitants
anda por los 700 euros it's around 700 euros
10
andando el tiempo
un niño que, andando el tiempo, sería rey a child who, in time, would become king; andando el tiempo la pena de muerte desaparecerá the death penalty will eventually disappear
11 (exclamaciones)
¡anda! (¡no me digas!) well I never!; (¡vamos!) come on!; ¡anda!, no lo sabía well I never, I didn't know that!; anda, dímelo go on, tell me
anda, no me molestes just stop annoying me, will you?; anda, no te lo tomes tan a pecho come on, there's no need to take it to heart like that
¡anda, anda! come on!
¡ándale (pues)! (México) (apúrese) come on!; hurry up!; (adiós) cheerio!; (gracias) thanks!; (encontrando algo) that's it!; ¡andando! right, let's get on with it!; andando, que todavía hay mucho que hacer let's get moving, there's still a lot to do
¡anda ya!
anda ya, no nos vengas con esnobismos come on, don't be such a snob; —dile que te gusta —¡anda ya, para que me suba el precio! "tell her you like it" — "oh sure, so she can charge me more!"
transitive verb
pronominal verb
andarse2
andarse con
ándate con cuidado take care; no puedes andarte con tonterías you can't afford to mess about; no andarse con contemplaciones o remilgos not to stand on ceremony; no podía andarse con demasiados remilgos a la hora de elegir marido she couldn't be too fussy when choosing a husband; no podemos andarnos con contemplaciones a la hora de buscar una solución a la crisis we can't afford to worry about the niceties when looking for a solution to the crisis; no se anda con chiquitas he doesn't mess about
no andarse con rodeos not to beat about the bush
walk; gait
es de andares rápidos he walks quickly; a más o todo andar at full speed; as quickly as possible
a largo andar (al final) in the end; (a largo plazo) in the long run
estar en un andar to be on the same level