voltear

to turn over

voltear(bohl-teh-ahr)

transitive verb

1. (to invert)

a. to turn over

La gitana me dijo que volteara una carta del tarot.

The gypsy told me to turn over a tarot card.

b. to turn around

Annie se dirigió a la puerta y volteó el cartel de «abierto».

Annie walked to the door and turned the "open" sign around.

c. to flip

Volteo el colchón cada seis meses para que no pierda su forma.

I flip the mattress every six months so it doesn't lose its shape.

d. to toss

El público se quedó boquiabierto cuando el toro volteó al matador.

The audience gasped when the bull tossed the matador.

e. to turn upside down (chair or table)

Voltea la silla rota para que nadie se siente en ella.

Turn the broken chair upside down so no one sits on it.

f. to knock over

Teresa volteó la mesa durante un arrebato de iras.

Teresa knocked over the table in a fit of rage.

2. (to change position)

a. to turn

Linda volteó la cabeza para evitar ver la grotesca escena.

Linda turned her head to avoid seeing the gruesome scene.

3. (to sound a bell)

a. to ring

El sacerdote voltea las campanas de la iglesia cada hora.

The priest rings the church bells every hour.

intransitive verb

4. (to change direction)

(Central America)

(Venezuela)

a. to turn

Voltea a la derecha aquí y estaciona en un hueco libre.

Turn right here and park in in a free spot.

5. (to spin)

a. to turn around

Me volteé para ver quién estaba detrás de mí, pero no había nadie.

I turned around to see who was behind me, but nobody was there.

voltearse

pronominal verb

6. (to change position)

(Central America)

a. to turn around

Voy a cambiarme. Por favor, voltéate.

I'm going to get changed. Please, turn around.

7. (to flip over)

(Mexico)

a. to overturn

El coche no se volteó porque íbamos a baja velocidad.

The car did not overturn because we were driving at a low speed.

b. to turn over

Las olas voltearon nuestro bote y tuvimos que nadar de regreso a la costa.

The waves turned our boat over and we had to swim back to the shore.

8. (to change loyalty)

(Latin America)

a. to change one's allegiance

Sus aliados más poderosos se voltearon por dinero.

His most powerful allies changed their allegiance over money.

voltear

transitive verb

1. (heno, crepe, torero)

a. to toss

2. (tortilla)

a. to turn over

3. (mesa, silla)

a. to turn upside-down

4. (derribar)

(Latin America)

a. to knock over

5. (dar la vuelta)

(Latin America)

a. to turn over

6. (cabeza, espalda)

a. to turn

intransitive verb

7. (doblar la esquina)

(Mexico)

a. to turn

8. (volcar; auto)

(Mexico)

a. to overturn

9. (girar; persona) (Andes)

a. to turn (round)

pronominal verb

10. (volverse)

(Latin America)

a. to turn round

11. (vehículo)

(Mexico)

a. to overturn

Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited

voltear

transitive verb

1 especialmente (Latinoamérica) (volver al revés) to turn over; turn upside down; (dar la vuelta a) to turn round; (lanzar al aire) to toss

2

voltear la espalda (Latinoamérica) (dar la espalda) to turn one's back

3 especialmente (S. Cone) (México) (volcar) to knock; knock over

4 [+campanas] to peal

5 especialmente (Latinoamérica) [+lazo] to whirl; twirl

6

voltear a algn (And) (Caribe) to force sb to change his mind

7 (Caribe) (buscar) to search all over for

intransitive verb

1 (dar vueltas) to roll over; go rolling over and over; (dar una voltereta) to somersault

2 (Latinoamérica) (torcer) to turn

voltear a la derecha to turn right; (volverse) to turn round

3 (Latinoamérica)

voltear a hacer algo to do sth again; volteó a decirlo he said it again

4 (Caribe)

volteó con mi amiga he went off with my girlfriend

pronominal verb

voltearse (Latinoamérica)

1 (dar la vuelta) to turn round; (Política) (cambiar de lado) to change one's allegiance; go over to the other side

2 (volcarse) to overturn; tip over