flotar

to float

verb floh-TAHR Rare

Also means

to hover

Usage Note

Flotar covers both floating on water and hovering in the air, as well as figurative uses such as a scent or idea that 'hangs in the air' (flotaba un olor a café = 'a smell of coffee hung in the air'). Unlike nadar (to swim), it implies passive suspension rather than active movement. The noun is flotador (float, life preserver).

Examples

"El corcho flota en el agua."

Natural Translation

The cork floats in the water.

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