🤸Body movement

Stand up, lie down, jump, push, pull, throw — what the body does in a warm-up.

30 concepts

Columns follow the languages switched on at the top. Gender after the word (m/f/n); IPA beneath; notes, alternatives and origins underneath — nothing is hidden.

Concept	English	Français	Español
to bend down verb	to bend also: to bend down, to bend over Irregular: bent. Bend your knees = the gym instruction.	se baisser also: se pencher (lean), plier (bend a thing, the knees) Se baisser is lowering your body; to bend an object or a knee is plier: pliez les genoux.	agacharse also: doblarse, doblar (bend a thing) Agacharse = get down low, duck; doblar las rodillas = bend the knees.
to catch verb	to catch Irregular: caught /kɔːt/. Also catch a bus, catch a cold.	attraper Also a cold (attraper un rhume) and a train. Rattraper = catch up with.	atrapar also: coger (Spain), agarrar (Latin America) Coger is everyday in Spain but vulgar (sexual) in much of Latin America, where agarrar does the job.
to crawl verb	to crawl Babies, soldiers and snakes all crawl in English; the neighbours split them.	ramper also: marcher à quatre pattes (on all fours) Ramper is flat on the belly (snake, soldier); a baby on hands and knees marche à quatre pattes.	gatear also: arrastrarse (on the belly) Gatear = crawl like a cat, on all fours (babies). On the belly: arrastrarse, reptar.
to drag verb	to drag Also slang: 'what a drag' = how boring.	traîner Also 'to hang around, dawdle': ne traîne pas ! = don't dawdle.	arrastrar Two trilled r's. Arrastrarse = crawl.
to drop verb	to drop Accident or on purpose. Also 'drop someone off' = give them a lift.	laisser tomber also: faire tomber (by accident) 'Let fall'. Also means to give up or to dump someone: laisse tomber = forget it.	dejar caer On purpose. By accident Spanish blames the object: se me cayó el vaso = 'the glass fell on me'.
to hold verb	to hold Irregular: held. Hold on = wait (on the phone) or grip.	tenir Irregular like venir: je tiens, j'ai tenu. Tiens ! = here you go / well, well.	sostener also: sujetar, agarrar (grip) Not tener, which is 'to have' — though Latin tenere meant hold.
to jog verb	to jog also: to go for a run Go jogging / go for a jog. Also 'jog someone's memory'.	faire un footing also: faire du jogging, courir Footing is a French coinage from English words: in English footing means your balance, not a run.	hacer footing also: trotar (Latin America), correr Footing in Spain, borrowed via French; Latin America says trotar or salir a correr.
to jump verb	to jump Jump rope (US) / skip (UK) = the boxer's rope.	sauter Also 'to skip' a page and 'to blow up'. Sauter à la corde = skip rope.	saltar also: brincar (Mexico, everyday) Saltar a la comba (Spain) / a la cuerda = skip rope.
to kneel verb	to kneel also: to kneel down The k is silent, as in knee and know. Past knelt.	s'agenouiller also: se mettre à genoux From genou, knee. Être à genoux = to be kneeling.	arrodillarse also: ponerse de rodillas From rodilla, knee.
to lean (forward, over) verb	to lean also: to lean forward, to lean over Lean on / against = rest your weight on. Past leant (UK) or leaned.	se pencher also: s'appuyer (contre) (lean against) Se pencher = lean over, forwards or out of a window. Resting your weight is s'appuyer.	inclinarse also: asomarse (lean out), apoyarse (lean against) Asomarse is leaning out of a window or door; apoyarse is resting against.
to leap verb	to leap A big, sudden jump. Past leapt /lɛpt/ (UK) or leaped.	bondir Un bond = a leap. Also to jump up in surprise or anger.	brincar also: dar un salto In Spain brincar is a playful leap; in Mexico it's the everyday 'jump'.
to lie down verb	to lie down Lie (lay, lain) is what YOU do; lay (laid) is what you do to a thing. 'I'm going to lay down' is common but marked wrong.	s'allonger also: se coucher (go to bed), s'étendre S'allonger is lying down any time; se coucher is going to bed. Être allongé = to be lying.	tumbarse also: acostarse (go to bed; Latin America: lie down), echarse Spain tumbarse; acostarse is going to bed there, but just lying down in much of Latin America.
to lift verb	to lift Also a UK noun: the lift = the elevator; give me a lift = drive me.	soulever also: lever (raise: a hand, the arm) Soulever is lifting something heavy off the ground; lever is raising (lever la main). Soulever de la fonte = lift weights (familiar).	levantar also: alzar Levantar pesas = lift weights. Without 'se' it takes an object; levantarse is to get up.
to march verb	to march Soldiers, protests, and 'march in place' in a warm-up.	marcher au pas also: défiler (parade, protest) Marcher alone is plain walking — march in step is marcher au pas; a protest or parade défile.	marchar also: desfilar (parade) Marcharse (reflexive) = to leave. ¡Marchando! = coming right up (in a bar).
to pick up (from the floor) verb	to pick up Phrasal: pick it up (the pronoun goes in the middle). Also collect someone, learn casually, answer the phone.	ramasser Ramasser is from the floor; aller chercher is picking someone up (at the station).	recoger also: coger del suelo (Spain) Also collect someone and tidy up: recoger la habitación = tidy the room.
to point verb	to point Point AT something. 'It's rude to point.'	montrer du doigt also: pointer (du doigt) 'Show with the finger'. Also figuratively: to single someone out for blame.	señalar Also 'to point out' a fact.
to pull verb	to pull PULL on doors. The vowel is short /ʊ/, as in 'put' — not 'pool'.	tirer TIREZ on doors. Also 'to shoot' and 'to draw' (a card, lots).	jalar also: tirar de (Spain) Latin America says jalar and it takes the thing directly (JALE on doors). Spain says tirar de la cuerda — with de — and tirar alone means throw.
to push verb	to push PUSH on doors. Short /ʊ/, like pull.	pousser POUSSEZ on doors. Also 'to grow' (plants, hair).	empujar EMPUJE on doors.
to put down verb	to put down Also 'to insult someone' and, of an animal, to put to sleep.	poser also: déposer Poser = put down gently; also poser une question = ask a question.	dejar also: poner, soltar (let go) Dejar is put down AND leave AND let: déjalo aquí = put it down here.
to stand up / get up verb	to stand up also: to get up Stand up from a chair; get up from bed or the floor. Stand = be standing.	se lever also: se mettre debout Also 'to get up' in the morning. Lever without se = raise something.	levantarse also: ponerse de pie, pararse (Latin America) In much of Latin America pararse = stand up; in Spain it means to stop.
to stretch verb	to stretch Before training: stretch, do some stretches. After waking up, too.	s'étirer also: faire des étirements Étirer without se is stretching a thing out.	estirarse also: hacer estiramientos Estirar las piernas = stretch the legs.
to squat (down) verb	to squat also: to crouch Also the gym exercise (do squats) and to occupy a building illegally.	s'accroupir also: faire des squats (gym) In the gym: des squats, or des flexions.	ponerse en cuclillas also: agacharse, hacer sentadillas (gym) In the gym a squat is una sentadilla.
to throw verb	to throw Irregular: threw, thrown. Throw up = vomit; throw away = bin.	lancer also: jeter (throw away, toss) Lancer is throwing to someone or at a target; jeter is getting rid of it.	lanzar also: tirar (Spain), aventar (Mexico) In Spain tirar is the everyday throw — and throw away.
to tiptoe verb	to tiptoe English makes a verb of it; its neighbours all need a phrase.	marcher sur la pointe des pieds 'Walk on the tip of the feet'. Also figuratively: to tread carefully.	andar de puntillas also: caminar de puntitas (Mexico)
to trip (over) verb	to trip also: to trip over Trip OVER something. Also a noun: a trip = a journey.	trébucher Trébucher sur une pierre. Faire un croche-pied = trip someone up.	tropezar also: tropezarse Tropezar con una piedra. Also 'to run into' someone.
to slip verb	to slip Slip on ice. Also 'it slipped my mind'.	glisser Also 'to slide' and 'to be slippery': ça glisse.	resbalar also: resbalarse Both forms are everyday: resbalé / me resbalé.
to wave (the hand) verb	to wave Wave AT someone, wave goodbye. Also a noun: a wave in the sea.	faire signe de la main also: faire coucou (familiar) No single verb. Faire coucou is the friendly wave, especially to children.	saludar con la mano also: hacer adiós con la mano (goodbye) Saludar alone = greet.
to clap verb	to clap also: to applaud Clap your hands. Applaud is the formal, audience word.	applaudir also: taper dans ses mains Taper dans ses mains is clapping to the beat or for attention.	aplaudir also: dar palmas, dar palmadas Palmas is the rhythmic clapping of flamenco.
to do a cartwheel verb	to do a cartwheel Named after the wheel of a cart; the neighbours mostly just say 'wheel'.	faire la roue Also what a peacock does, spreading its tail — and, figuratively, showing off.	hacer la rueda also: hacer la voltereta lateral, hacer la estrella (Latin America)
to bow verb	to bow Rhymes with 'now'. The bow /bəʊ/ that rhymes with 'go' is a ribbon or an archer's bow.	s'incliner also: saluer (stage, dojo) Also 'to give in, accept defeat': je m'incline. In the dojo you saluer.	hacer una reverencia also: inclinarse, saludar (dojo)