The simple present tense of girar is used to describe actions that are happening now or that occur regularly. For example, El ventilador gira rápidamente. (The fan spins quickly.)

Girar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the simple present follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Girar (to turn) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Girar generally means to turn or rotate, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

Literal meaning: To turn or rotate something, for example, Giro la llave para abrir la puerta (I turn the key to open the door).

Change direction: To change the direction of movement, for example, Giro a la derecha en la próxima calle (I turn right at the next street).

Revolve: To revolve or spin around an axis, for example, La Tierra gira alrededor del Sol (The Earth revolves around the Sun).

Transfer money: To transfer money from one account to another, for example, Giro mi sueldo a mi cuenta de ahorros (I transfer my salary to my savings account).

Slang: Change topic: To change the topic of conversation abruptly, for example, Giras el tema cada vez que hablamos de eso (You change the subject every time we talk about that).

Slang: Ignore: To ignore or disregard someone or something, for example, Siempre me gira cuando le pido ayuda (He always ignores me when I ask for help).

Examples

Examples of Girar in the Present Tense

Cada mañana, giro a la derecha en la esquina para ir al trabajo. (Every morning, I turn right at the corner to go to work.)

Mis amigos giran sus cabezas cuando pasa una persona atractiva. (My friends turn their heads when an attractive person walks by.)

¿Por qué giras el volante tan bruscamente? Maneja con más cuidado. (Why do you turn the steering wheel so abruptly? Drive more carefully.)

Cuando estoy aburrido, giro el canal de televisión para ver qué hay de interesante. (When I’m bored, I channel surf to see what’s interesting on TV.)

Los niños giran en círculos hasta que se marean y se caen al suelo riendo. (The kids spin in circles until they get dizzy and fall to the ground laughing.)

En la clase de baile, giramos y damos vueltas al ritmo de la música. (In dance class, we turn and twirl to the rhythm of the music.)

Cuando gira la página del libro, se puede escuchar el crujido del papel. (When you turn the page of the book, you can hear the crinkle of the paper.)

Los jugadores giran sus cuerpos para lanzar la pelota con más fuerza. (The players twist their bodies to throw the ball with more power.)

Cada vez que giras la llave en la cerradura, recuerda cerrar bien la puerta. (Every time you turn the key in the lock, remember to close the door properly.)

La Tierra gira alrededor del Sol, completando una órbita cada año. (The Earth revolves around the Sun, completing one orbit every year.)

Cuando giramos a la izquierda en esa calle, siempre vemos un lindo parque. (When we turn left on that street, we always see a nice park.)

Los cocineros giran constantemente las carnes en la parrilla para que se cocinen de manera uniforme. (The cooks constantly turn the meats on the grill so they cook evenly.)

Cada vez que giro la perilla del radio, la estación cambia. (Every time I turn the radio dial, the station changes.)

Los atletas giran sus tobillos antes de competir para calentar y evitar lesiones. (Athletes turn their ankles before competing to warm up and avoid injuries.)

Cuando gira la esquina, puedes ver el hermoso edificio de la alcaldía. (When you turn the corner, you can see the beautiful city hall building.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Girar (to turn) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.