embalar

Catalan

Etymology

From en- +‎ bala +‎ -ar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central) [əm.bəˈla]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [em.baˈlaɾ]
• IPA^(key): (Northwestern) [em.baˈla]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Verb

embalar (first-person singular present embalo, first-person singular preterite embalí, past participle embalat)

1. (transitive) to pack up, to package
2. (intransitive, pronominal) to pick up speed; (figurative) to get carried away

Conjugation

    Central Catalan conjugation of embalar (first conjugation)

infinitive			embalar
gerund			embalant
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		embalat		embalada
		plural		embalats		embalades
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	embalo	embales	embala	embalem	embaleu	embalen
	imperfect	embalava	embalaves	embalava	embalàvem	embalàveu	embalaven
	future	embalaré	embalaràs	embalarà	embalarem	embalareu	embalaran
	preterite	embalí	embalares	embalà	embalàrem	embalàreu	embalaren
	conditional	embalaria	embalaries	embalaria	embalaríem	embalaríeu	embalarien
subjunctive		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	embali	embalis	embali	embalem	embaleu	embalin
	imperfect	embalés	embalessis	embalés	embaléssim	embaléssiu	embalessin
imperative		—	tu	vostè	nosaltres	vosaltres vós	vostès
	affirmative	—	embala	embali	embalem	embaleu	embalin
	negative (no)	—	no embalis	no embali	no embalem	no embaleu	no embalin

Derived terms

• desembalar
• embalador
• embaladora
• embalament
• embalatge

Further reading

• “embalar”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): (careful pronunciation) /ẽ.baˈla(ʁ)/ [ẽ.baˈla(h)], (natural pronunciation) /ĩ.baˈla(ʁ)/ [ĩ.baˈla(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): (careful pronunciation) /ẽ.baˈla(ʁ)/ [ẽ.baˈla(h)], (natural pronunciation) /ĩ.baˈla(ʁ)/ [ĩ.baˈla(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): (careful pronunciation) /ẽ.baˈla(ɾ)/, (natural pronunciation) /ĩ.baˈla(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): (careful pronunciation) /ẽ.baˈla(ʁ)/ [ẽ.baˈla(χ)], (natural pronunciation) /ĩ.baˈla(ʁ)/ [ĩ.baˈla(χ)]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): (careful pronunciation) /ẽ.baˈla(ɻ)/, (natural pronunciation) /ĩ.baˈla(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ẽ.bɐˈlaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ẽ.bɐˈlaɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ẽ.bɐˈla.ɾi/

• Hyphenation: em‧ba‧lar

Etymology 1

Uncertain. Possibilities include:

• From abalar.
• From Late Latin ballāre (“to play, dance”), prefixed with em-.

Verb

embalar (first-person singular present embalo, first-person singular preterite embalei, past participle embalado)

1. (transitive) to rock (move gently back and forth)

   Synonym: balançar

2. (transitive) to lull (to soothe a baby into sleep)
3. (intransitive, transitive) to accelerate (to cause to move faster)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of embalar (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	embalar
Personal	embalar	embalares	embalar	embalarmos	embalardes	embalarem
Gerund
	embalando
Past participle
Masculine	embalado			embalados
Feminine	embalada			embaladas
Indicative
Present	embalo	embalas	embala	embalamos	embalais	embalam
Imperfect	embalava	embalavas	embalava	embalávamos	embaláveis	embalavam
Preterite	embalei	embalaste	embalou	embalamos1, embalámos2	embalastes	embalaram
Pluperfect	embalara	embalaras	embalara	embaláramos	embaláreis	embalaram
Future	embalarei	embalarás	embalará	embalaremos	embalareis	embalarão
Conditional	embalaria	embalarias	embalaria	embalaríamos	embalaríeis	embalariam
Subjunctive
Present	embale	embales	embale	embalemos	embaleis	embalem
Imperfect	embalasse	embalasses	embalasse	embalássemos	embalásseis	embalassem
Future	embalar	embalares	embalar	embalarmos	embalardes	embalarem
Imperative
Affirmative		embala	embale	embalemos	embalai	embalem
Negative (não)		não embales	não embale	não embalemos	não embaleis	não embalem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Derived terms

• canção de embalar

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₁én

Proto-Italic *en

Proto-Italic *en-

Latin in-

Old French en-

French en-

French balle

Proto-Italic *-āzi

▲

Latin -ereinflu.

Latin -āre

Old French -ier

Middle French -er

French -er

French emballerbor.

Portuguese embalar

Borrowed from French emballer.

Verb

embalar (first-person singular present embalo, first-person singular preterite embalei, past participle embalado)

1. (transitive) to package (to wrap a product in packaging)

   Synonyms: embrulhar, empacotar

   Antonym: desembalar

Conjugation

    Conjugation of embalar (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	embalar
Personal	embalar	embalares	embalar	embalarmos	embalardes	embalarem
Gerund
	embalando
Past participle
Masculine	embalado			embalados
Feminine	embalada			embaladas
Indicative
Present	embalo	embalas	embala	embalamos	embalais	embalam
Imperfect	embalava	embalavas	embalava	embalávamos	embaláveis	embalavam
Preterite	embalei	embalaste	embalou	embalamos1, embalámos2	embalastes	embalaram
Pluperfect	embalara	embalaras	embalara	embaláramos	embaláreis	embalaram
Future	embalarei	embalarás	embalará	embalaremos	embalareis	embalarão
Conditional	embalaria	embalarias	embalaria	embalaríamos	embalaríeis	embalariam
Subjunctive
Present	embale	embales	embale	embalemos	embaleis	embalem
Imperfect	embalasse	embalasses	embalasse	embalássemos	embalásseis	embalassem
Future	embalar	embalares	embalar	embalarmos	embalardes	embalarem
Imperative
Affirmative		embala	embale	embalemos	embalai	embalem
Negative (não)		não embales	não embale	não embalemos	não embaleis	não embalem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Related terms

• desembalado
• reembalar

Etymology 3

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₁én

Proto-Italic *en

Proto-Italic *en-

Latin in-

Old Galician-Portuguese en-

Portuguese em-

Portuguese bala

Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews-

Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewsér

Proto-Hellenic *auhḗr

Ancient Greek ᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)bor.

Latin āēr

Old Galician-Portuguese aar

Portuguese ar

Portuguese embalar

From em- + bala + ar.

Verb

embalar (first-person singular present embalo, first-person singular preterite embalei, past participle embalado)

1. (transitive) to load (a firearm with bullets)

   Synonym: carregar

Further reading

• “embalar”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “embalar”, in Dicionário Infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “embalar”, in Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisboa: Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, 2001–2026
• “embalar”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026
• “embalar”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₁én

Proto-Italic *en

Proto-Italic *en-

Latin in-

Old Spanish en-

Spanish en-

Middle French balle

French ballebor.

Spanish bala

Spanish ar

Spanish embalar

From en- + bala (“bundle”) + ar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /embaˈlaɾ/ [ẽm.baˈlaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: em‧ba‧lar

Verb

embalar (first-person singular present embalo, first-person singular preterite embalé, past participle embalado)

1. (transitive) to package (to wrap an object in packaging)

   Synonym: envolver

2. (reflexive) to speed up, pick up speed

Conjugation

    Conjugation of embalar (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			embalar
gerund			embalando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		embalado		embalada
		plural		embalados		embaladas
		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	embalo	embalastú embalásvos	embala	embalamos	embaláis	embalan
	imperfect	embalaba	embalabas	embalaba	embalábamos	embalabais	embalaban
	preterite	embalé	embalaste	embaló	embalamos	embalasteis	embalaron
	future	embalaré	embalarás	embalará	embalaremos	embalaréis	embalarán
	conditional	embalaría	embalarías	embalaría	embalaríamos	embalaríais	embalarían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	embale	embalestú embalésvos2	embale	embalemos	embaléis	embalen
	imperfect (ra)	embalara	embalaras	embalara	embaláramos	embalarais	embalaran
	imperfect (se)	embalase	embalases	embalase	embalásemos	embalaseis	embalasen
	future1	embalare	embalares	embalare	embaláremos	embalareis	embalaren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		embalatú embalávos	embale	embalemos	embalad	embalen
	negative		no embales	no embale	no embalemos	no embaléis	no embalen

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

    Selected combined forms of embalar

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 embalar	dative	embalarme	embalarte	embalarle, embalarse	embalarnos	embalaros	embalarles, embalarse
	accusative	embalarme	embalarte	embalarlo, embalarla, embalarse	embalarnos	embalaros	embalarlos, embalarlas, embalarse
with gerund embalando	dative	embalándome	embalándote	embalándole, embalándose	embalándonos	embalándoos	embalándoles, embalándose
	accusative	embalándome	embalándote	embalándolo, embalándola, embalándose	embalándonos	embalándoos	embalándolos, embalándolas, embalándose
with informal second-person singular tuteo imperative embala	dative	embálame	embálate	embálale	embálanos	not used	embálales
	accusative	embálame	embálate	embálalo, embálala	embálanos	not used	embálalos, embálalas
with informal second-person singular voseo imperative embalá	dative	embalame	embalate	embalale	embalanos	not used	embalales
	accusative	embalame	embalate	embalalo, embalala	embalanos	not used	embalalos, embalalas
with formal second-person singular imperative embale	dative	embáleme	not used	embálele, embálese	embálenos	not used	embáleles
	accusative	embáleme	not used	embálelo, embálela, embálese	embálenos	not used	embálelos, embálelas
with first-person plural imperative embalemos	dative	not used	embalémoste	embalémosle	embalémonos	embalémoos	embalémosles
	accusative	not used	embalémoste	embalémoslo, embalémosla	embalémonos	embalémoos	embalémoslos, embalémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative embalad	dative	embaladme	not used	embaladle	embaladnos	embalaos	embaladles
	accusative	embaladme	not used	embaladlo, embaladla	embaladnos	embalaos	embaladlos, embaladlas
with formal second-person plural imperative embalen	dative	embálenme	not used	embálenle	embálennos	not used	embálenles, embálense
	accusative	embálenme	not used	embálenlo, embálenla	embálennos	not used	embálenlos, embálenlas, embálense

Derived terms

• cinta de embalar

Related terms

• embalado
• embalador
• embaladura
• embalaje

Further reading

• “embalar”, 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

Anagrams

• alambre