What does cambiar in Spanish mean?

What is the meaning of the word cambiar in Spanish? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use cambiar in Spanish.

The word cambiar in Spanish means change, change, modify, change, trade in, change, change, cash, change, shift, change, switch gear, change with time, change over time, change of environment, change of scene, change the channel, switch sides, change sides, change color, change school, change one's mind, change one's mind, change the subject, change the subject, exchange money, change the world, change the course of history, change in a way, exchange ideas, lose your baby teeth, change plans, cash a check, not change a thing. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word cambiar

change

verbo intransitivo (volverse diferente)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
El país ha cambiado mucho en los últimos quince años. Dicen que las personas no cambian, pero yo no lo creo.
The country has changed a lot over the last fifteen years.

change, modify

verbo transitivo (modificar)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
El gobierno ha vuelto a cambiar las leyes.
The government's changed the laws again.

change

verbo transitivo (tomar algo diferente)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Si no te gusta la camisa que te regalé, puedes cambiarla.
If you don't like the shirt you can change it.

trade in

(trocar, intercambiar)

Cuando mis vecinos tuvieron a su primer hijo, cambiaron la moto por un auto familiar.
When my neighbours had their first son, they traded in their motorbike for a family car.

change

verbo transitivo (trasladar)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Cambié la cama de sitio.
I changed the position of the bed.

change

verbo transitivo (poner un pañal limpio)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Hay que cambiar al bebé después de comer.
ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Can I trust you to change the baby?

cash

verbo transitivo (canjear valores, dinero)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
En el banco cambié los cheques de viaje.
I cashed the travellers cheques at the bank.

change

verbo pronominal (mudarse de ropa)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Siempre me cambio cuando llego a casa.
I always change clothes when I come home.

shift, change

verbo intransitivo (poner otra marcha) (car transmission)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Para subir por esta loma, es mejor cambiar a segunda.
To go up that hill it's better to change into second.

switch gear

verbo transitivo (poner otra marcha)

Cambiar marchas es fácil: solo se necesita práctica.
Switching gear is easy. It just takes practice.

change with time, change over time

locución verbal (evolucionar)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Todas las relaciones cambian con el tiempo.
All relationships change with time.

change of environment, change of scene

locución verbal (figurado (cambiar de ambiente)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Necesito cambiar de aires, voy a renunciar a este trabajo.
I need a change of environment; I am quitting this job.

change the channel

locución verbal (ir a otra emisión)

Marcos cambió de canal, estaba aburrido de ese programa.
Marcos changed the channel; that show was boring him.

switch sides

locución verbal (coloquial (de opinión, de partido)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Sospecho que el Sr. González piensa cambiar de casaca.
I suspect that Mr. Gonzalez is thinking of switching sides.

change sides

locución verbal (ES, coloquial (cambiar de bando)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Los tránsfugas están acostumbrados a cambiar de chaqueta.

change color

locución verbal (tomar otro tono) (US)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
El anillo cambia de color si lo pones al sol.
The ring changes color when you put it in the sun.

change school

locución verbal (ir a otra escuela)

Martín cambió de escuela a sus hijos.
Martin changed his children's school.

change one's mind

locución verbal (decidir algo diferente)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Cambié de parecer; ya no quiero ir a esa universidad.
I changed my mind; I don't want to go to this university.

change one's mind

locución verbal (modificar la opinión)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Tus nuevos argumentos me han hecho cambiar de impresión.

change the subject

locución verbal (hablar de otro asunto)

Roberto cambió de tema para no hablar de eso.
Roberto changed the topic so he did not have to talk about that.

change the subject

locución verbal (pasar a otro tema)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Cambiemos de tercio: ¿a qué hora comienza el partido?
Let's change the subject; what time does the game start?

exchange money

locución verbal (comprar otra moneda)

Necesito cambiar dinero antes de viajar a Brasil.
I need to exchange money before traveling to Brazil.

change the world

locución verbal (figurado (hacer innovaciones)

No siempre podemos cambiar el mundo, pero debemos intentarlo.
We can't always change the world, but we can try.

change the course of history

locución verbal (figurado (marcar un hito)

La imprenta cambió el rumbo de la historia para siempre.
The printing press changed the course of history forever.

change in a way

locución verbal (modificar)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
La escuela cambió en muchas cosas, pero los profesores son los mismos.
The school changed in many ways, but the teachers remained the same.

exchange ideas

locución verbal (intercambiar ideas)

Los presidentes de la cumbre estuvieron cambiando impresiones sobre el asunto.

lose your baby teeth

locución verbal (dentar dientes definitivos)

El niño está cambiando los dientes y llora mucho.
The child is losing his baby teeth and cries often.

change plans

locución verbal (modificar los planes)

Tuvimos que cambiar los planes cuando empezó a llover.
We had to change our plans when it began to rain.

cash a check

locución verbal (cobrar) (US)

El cadete cambió un cheque en el banco.
The cadet cashed a check at the bank.

not change a thing

locución verbal (no evolucionar)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

Let's learn Spanish

So now that you know more about the meaning of cambiar in Spanish, you can learn how to use them through selected examples and how to read them. And remember to learn the related words that we suggest. Our website is constantly updating with new words and new examples so you can look up the meanings of other words you don't know in Spanish.

Do you know about Spanish

Spanish (español), also known as Castilla, is a language of the Iberian-Romance group of the Romance languages, and the 4th most common language in the world according to Some sources, while others list it as a 2nd or 3rd most common language. It is the mother tongue of about 352 million people, and is spoken by 417 million people when adding its speakers as a language. sub (estimated in 1999). Spanish and Portuguese have very similar grammar and vocabulary; The number of similar vocabulary of these two languages is up to 89%. Spanish is the primary language of 20 countries around the world. It is estimated that the total number of speakers of Spanish is between 470 and 500 million, making it the second most widely spoken language in the world by number of native speakers.