embolar

Catalan

Etymology

From en- +‎ bola +‎ -ar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Central) [əm.buˈla]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [əm.boˈla]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [em.boˈlaɾ]
• IPA^(key): (Northwestern) [em.boˈla]

Verb

embolar (first-person singular present embolo, first-person singular preterite embolí, past participle embolat); root stress: (Northern) /o̞/; (Balearic, Central) /ɔ/; (Northwestern, Valencia) /o/

1. (bullfighting) to put wooden balls (on the tips of the horns of a bull)

Conjugation

    Central Catalan conjugation of embolar (first conjugation)

infinitive			embolar
gerund			embolant
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		embolat		embolada
		plural		embolats		embolades
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	embolo	emboles	embola	embolem	emboleu	embolen
	imperfect	embolava	embolaves	embolava	embolàvem	embolàveu	embolaven
	future	embolaré	embolaràs	embolarà	embolarem	embolareu	embolaran
	preterite	embolí	embolares	embolà	embolàrem	embolàreu	embolaren
	conditional	embolaria	embolaries	embolaria	embolaríem	embolaríeu	embolarien
subjunctive		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	emboli	embolis	emboli	embolem	emboleu	embolin
	imperfect	embolés	embolessis	embolés	emboléssim	emboléssiu	embolessin
imperative		—	tu	vostè	nosaltres	vosaltres vós	vostès
	affirmative	—	embola	emboli	embolem	emboleu	embolin
	negative (no)	—	no embolis	no emboli	no embolem	no emboleu	no embolin

Further reading

• “embolar”, 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
• “embolar”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026
• “embolar” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “embolar”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₁én

Proto-Italic *en

Proto-Italic *en-

Latin in-

Old Galician-Portuguese en-

Portuguese en-

Portuguese bola

Portuguese -ar

Portuguese embolar

From en- + bola + -ar.

Pronunciation

 

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

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

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ẽ.buˈlaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ẽ.buˈlaɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ẽ.buˈla.ɾi/

• Hyphenation: em‧bo‧lar

Verb

embolar (first-person singular present embolo, first-person singular preterite embolei, past participle embolado)

1. to put spheres on the tip of a bull's horn to avoid hurting the bullfighter
2. (Brazil) to grab an enemy and roll with them over the ground
3. to form a bunch (load of material put together)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of embolar (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	embolar
Personal	embolar	embolares	embolar	embolarmos	embolardes	embolarem
Gerund
	embolando
Past participle
Masculine	embolado			embolados
Feminine	embolada			emboladas
Indicative
Present	embolo	embolas	embola	embolamos	embolais	embolam
Imperfect	embolava	embolavas	embolava	embolávamos	emboláveis	embolavam
Preterite	embolei	embolaste	embolou	embolamos1, embolámos2	embolastes	embolaram
Pluperfect	embolara	embolaras	embolara	emboláramos	emboláreis	embolaram
Future	embolarei	embolarás	embolará	embolaremos	embolareis	embolarão
Conditional	embolaria	embolarias	embolaria	embolaríamos	embolaríeis	embolariam
Subjunctive
Present	embole	emboles	embole	embolemos	emboleis	embolem
Imperfect	embolasse	embolasses	embolasse	embolássemos	embolásseis	embolassem
Future	embolar	embolares	embolar	embolarmos	embolardes	embolarem
Imperative
Affirmative		embola	embole	embolemos	embolai	embolem
Negative (não)		não emboles	não embole	não embolemos	não emboleis	não embolem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Derived terms

• embolado
• embolada
• embolador
• embolação

Further reading

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

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₁én

Proto-Italic *en

Proto-Italic *en-

Latin in-

Old Spanish en-

Spanish en-

Proto-Indo-European *bew-der.?

Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-der.?

Latin bullader.

Spanish bola

Spanish -ar

Spanish embolar

From en- + bola + -ar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /emboˈlaɾ/ [ẽm.boˈlaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: em‧bo‧lar

Verb

embolar (first-person singular present embolo, first-person singular preterite embolé, past participle embolado)

1. (bullfighting) to put wooden balls (on the tips of the horns of a bull)
2. to blacken (shoes)
3. (reflexive) to get drunk

Conjugation

    Conjugation of embolar (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			embolar
gerund			embolando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		embolado		embolada
		plural		embolados		emboladas
		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	embolo	embolastú embolásvos	embola	embolamos	emboláis	embolan
	imperfect	embolaba	embolabas	embolaba	embolábamos	embolabais	embolaban
	preterite	embolé	embolaste	emboló	embolamos	embolasteis	embolaron
	future	embolaré	embolarás	embolará	embolaremos	embolaréis	embolarán
	conditional	embolaría	embolarías	embolaría	embolaríamos	embolaríais	embolarían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	embole	embolestú embolésvos2	embole	embolemos	emboléis	embolen
	imperfect (ra)	embolara	embolaras	embolara	emboláramos	embolarais	embolaran
	imperfect (se)	embolase	embolases	embolase	embolásemos	embolaseis	embolasen
	future1	embolare	embolares	embolare	emboláremos	embolareis	embolaren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		embolatú embolávos	embole	embolemos	embolad	embolen
	negative		no emboles	no embole	no embolemos	no emboléis	no embolen

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

    Selected combined forms of embolar

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 embolar	dative	embolarme	embolarte	embolarle, embolarse	embolarnos	embolaros	embolarles, embolarse
	accusative	embolarme	embolarte	embolarlo, embolarla, embolarse	embolarnos	embolaros	embolarlos, embolarlas, embolarse
with gerund embolando	dative	embolándome	embolándote	embolándole, embolándose	embolándonos	embolándoos	embolándoles, embolándose
	accusative	embolándome	embolándote	embolándolo, embolándola, embolándose	embolándonos	embolándoos	embolándolos, embolándolas, embolándose
with informal second-person singular tuteo imperative embola	dative	embólame	embólate	embólale	embólanos	not used	embólales
	accusative	embólame	embólate	embólalo, embólala	embólanos	not used	embólalos, embólalas
with informal second-person singular voseo imperative embolá	dative	embolame	embolate	embolale	embolanos	not used	embolales
	accusative	embolame	embolate	embolalo, embolala	embolanos	not used	embolalos, embolalas
with formal second-person singular imperative embole	dative	embóleme	not used	embólele, embólese	embólenos	not used	embóleles
	accusative	embóleme	not used	embólelo, embólela, embólese	embólenos	not used	embólelos, embólelas
with first-person plural imperative embolemos	dative	not used	embolémoste	embolémosle	embolémonos	embolémoos	embolémosles
	accusative	not used	embolémoste	embolémoslo, embolémosla	embolémonos	embolémoos	embolémoslos, embolémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative embolad	dative	emboladme	not used	emboladle	emboladnos	embolaos	emboladles
	accusative	emboladme	not used	emboladlo, emboladla	emboladnos	embolaos	emboladlos, emboladlas
with formal second-person plural imperative embolen	dative	embólenme	not used	embólenle	embólennos	not used	embólenles, embólense
	accusative	embólenme	not used	embólenlo, embólenla	embólennos	not used	embólenlos, embólenlas, embólense

Derived terms

• toro embolado

Further reading

• “embolar”, 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