bambolear

Portuguese

Etymology

Possibly via Late Latin *bambalare (“to swing, sway, shake”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /bɐ̃.bo.leˈa(ʁ)/ [bɐ̃.bo.leˈa(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /bɐ̃.bo.leˈa(ʁ)/ [bɐ̃.bo.leˈa(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /bɐ̃.bo.leˈa(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /bɐ̃.bo.leˈa(ʁ)/ [bɐ̃.bo.leˈa(χ)]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /bɐ̃.bo.leˈa(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /bɐ̃.buˈljaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /bɐ̃.buˈljaɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /bɐ̃.buˈlja.ɾi/

• Hyphenation: bam‧bo‧le‧ar

Verb

bambolear (first-person singular present bamboleio, first-person singular preterite bamboleei, past participle bamboleado)

1. to waddle

Conjugation

    Conjugation of bambolear (e becomes ei when stressed) (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	bambolear
Personal	bambolear	bamboleares	bambolear	bambolearmos	bamboleardes	bambolearem
Gerund
	bamboleando
Past participle
Masculine	bamboleado			bamboleados
Feminine	bamboleada			bamboleadas
Indicative
Present	bamboleio	bamboleias	bamboleia	bamboleamos	bamboleais	bamboleiam
Imperfect	bamboleava	bamboleavas	bamboleava	bamboleávamos	bamboleáveis	bamboleavam
Preterite	bamboleei	bamboleaste	bamboleou	bamboleamos1, bamboleámos2	bamboleastes	bambolearam
Pluperfect	bamboleara	bambolearas	bamboleara	bamboleáramos	bamboleáreis	bambolearam
Future	bambolearei	bambolearás	bamboleará	bambolearemos	bamboleareis	bambolearão
Conditional	bambolearia	bambolearias	bambolearia	bambolearíamos	bambolearíeis	bamboleariam
Subjunctive
Present	bamboleie	bamboleies	bamboleie	bamboleemos	bamboleeis	bamboleiem
Imperfect	bamboleasse	bamboleasses	bamboleasse	bamboleássemos	bamboleásseis	bamboleassem
Future	bambolear	bamboleares	bambolear	bambolearmos	bamboleardes	bambolearem
Imperative
Affirmative		bamboleia	bamboleie	bamboleemos	bamboleai	bamboleiem
Negative (não)		não bamboleies	não bamboleie	não bamboleemos	não bamboleeis	não bamboleiem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Derived terms

• bambolê
• bamboleadura
• bamboleamento
• bamboleante
• bamboleio

Further reading

• “bambolear”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “bambolear”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Alternative forms

• bambalear, bambonear, bambanear

Etymology

Of sound-symbolic origin, possibly via Late Latin *bambalare (“to swing, sway, shake”); compare Portuguese bambolear (“to wobble, waddle”), Norman bamboler and Walloon bamber (“to shake one's head”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bamboleˈaɾ/ [bãm.bo.leˈaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: bam‧bo‧le‧ar

Verb

bambolear (first-person singular present bamboleo, first-person singular preterite bamboleé, past participle bamboleado)

1. (transitive, reflexive, disused intransitive) to sway, wobble

   Synonym: tambalear

2. (transitive, reflexive, disused intransitive) to swing, oscillate

   Synonym: balancear

Conjugation

    Conjugation of bambolear (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			bambolear
gerund			bamboleando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		bamboleado		bamboleada
		plural		bamboleados		bamboleadas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	bamboleo	bamboleastú bamboleásvos	bambolea	bamboleamos	bamboleáis	bambolean
	imperfect	bamboleaba	bamboleabas	bamboleaba	bamboleábamos	bamboleabais	bamboleaban
	preterite	bamboleé	bamboleaste	bamboleó	bamboleamos	bamboleasteis	bambolearon
	future	bambolearé	bambolearás	bamboleará	bambolearemos	bambolearéis	bambolearán
	conditional	bambolearía	bambolearías	bambolearía	bambolearíamos	bambolearíais	bambolearían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	bambolee	bamboleestú bamboleésvos2	bambolee	bamboleemos	bamboleéis	bamboleen
	imperfect (ra)	bamboleara	bambolearas	bamboleara	bamboleáramos	bambolearais	bambolearan
	imperfect (se)	bambolease	bamboleases	bambolease	bamboleásemos	bamboleaseis	bamboleasen
	future1	bamboleare	bamboleares	bamboleare	bamboleáremos	bamboleareis	bambolearen
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		bamboleatú bamboleávos	bambolee	bamboleemos	bambolead	bamboleen
	negative		no bambolees	no bambolee	no bamboleemos	no bamboleéis	no bamboleen

¹Rare; now chiefly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tuteo-form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of bambolear

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive bambolear	dative	bambolearme	bambolearte	bambolearle, bambolearse	bambolearnos	bambolearos	bambolearles, bambolearse
	accusative	bambolearme	bambolearte	bambolearlo, bambolearla, bambolearse	bambolearnos	bambolearos	bambolearlos, bambolearlas, bambolearse
with gerund bamboleando	dative	bamboleándome	bamboleándote	bamboleándole, bamboleándose	bamboleándonos	bamboleándoos	bamboleándoles, bamboleándose
	accusative	bamboleándome	bamboleándote	bamboleándolo, bamboleándola, bamboleándose	bamboleándonos	bamboleándoos	bamboleándolos, bamboleándolas, bamboleándose
with informal second-person singular tuteo imperative bambolea	dative	bamboléame	bamboléate	bamboléale	bamboléanos	not used	bamboléales
	accusative	bamboléame	bamboléate	bamboléalo, bamboléala	bamboléanos	not used	bamboléalos, bamboléalas
with informal second-person singular voseo imperative bamboleá	dative	bamboleame	bamboleate	bamboleale	bamboleanos	not used	bamboleales
	accusative	bamboleame	bamboleate	bambolealo, bamboleala	bamboleanos	not used	bambolealos, bambolealas
with formal second-person singular imperative bambolee	dative	bamboléeme	not used	bamboléele, bamboléese	bamboléenos	not used	bamboléeles
	accusative	bamboléeme	not used	bamboléelo, bamboléela, bamboléese	bamboléenos	not used	bamboléelos, bamboléelas
with first-person plural imperative bamboleemos	dative	not used	bamboleémoste	bamboleémosle	bamboleémonos	bamboleémoos	bamboleémosles
	accusative	not used	bamboleémoste	bamboleémoslo, bamboleémosla	bamboleémonos	bamboleémoos	bamboleémoslos, bamboleémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative bambolead	dative	bamboleadme	not used	bamboleadle	bamboleadnos	bamboleaos	bamboleadles
	accusative	bamboleadme	not used	bamboleadlo, bamboleadla	bamboleadnos	bamboleaos	bamboleadlos, bamboleadlas
with formal second-person plural imperative bamboleen	dative	bamboléenme	not used	bamboléenle	bamboléennos	not used	bamboléenles, bamboléense
	accusative	bamboléenme	not used	bamboléenlo, bamboléenla	bamboléennos	not used	bamboléenlos, bamboléenlas, bamboléense

    Conjugation of bambolearse (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			bambolearse
gerund			bamboleándose
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		bamboleado		bamboleada
		plural		bamboleados		bamboleadas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
personal non-finite		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	infinitive	bambolearme	bambolearte	bambolearse	bambolearnos	bambolearos	bambolearse
	gerund	bamboleándome	bamboleándote	bamboleándose	bamboleándonos	bamboleándoos	bamboleándose
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	me bamboleo	te bamboleastú te bamboleásvos	se bambolea	nos bamboleamos	os bamboleáis	se bambolean
	imperfect	me bamboleaba	te bamboleabas	se bamboleaba	nos bamboleábamos	os bamboleabais	se bamboleaban
	preterite	me bamboleé	te bamboleaste	se bamboleó	nos bamboleamos	os bamboleasteis	se bambolearon
	future	me bambolearé	te bambolearás	se bamboleará	nos bambolearemos	os bambolearéis	se bambolearán
	conditional	me bambolearía	te bambolearías	se bambolearía	nos bambolearíamos	os bambolearíais	se bambolearían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	me bambolee	te bamboleestú te bamboleésvos2	se bambolee	nos bamboleemos	os bamboleéis	se bamboleen
	imperfect (ra)	me bamboleara	te bambolearas	se bamboleara	nos bamboleáramos	os bambolearais	se bambolearan
	imperfect (se)	me bambolease	te bamboleases	se bambolease	nos bamboleásemos	os bamboleaseis	se bamboleasen
	future1	me bamboleare	te bamboleares	se bamboleare	nos bamboleáremos	os bamboleareis	se bambolearen
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		bamboléatetú bamboleatevos	bamboléese	bamboleémonos	bamboleaos	bamboléense
	negative		no te bambolees	no se bambolee	no nos bamboleemos	no os bamboleéis	no se bamboleen

¹Rare; now chiefly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tuteo-form for the present subjunctive.

Derived terms

• bamboleante
• bamboleo

Further reading

• “bambolear”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
• Carnoy, Albert J. (1917), “Apophony and Rhyme Words in Vulgar Latin Onomatopoeias”, in American Journal of Philology, volume 38, number 3 (No. 151), Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, →JSTOR, § 9. *bombus, *bambus, *bimbus, page 271 of 265–284: “*bambalare”