Sobrevolar refers to the action of flying over a certain area or object, typically at a low altitude. The term is commonly used in both oral and written contexts, particularly in aviation, geography, and nature discussions. Frequency of use is moderate, with more prominence in technical language concerning flying or aerial navigation.
Los pájaros suelen sobrevolar el lago al atardecer.
"Birds often fly over the lake at sunset."
El helicóptero comenzó a sobrevolar el área para buscar al desaparecido.
"The helicopter began to fly over the area to search for the missing person."
Durante el vuelo, pudimos sobrevolar numerosas montañas.
"During the flight, we were able to fly over numerous mountains."
While "sobrevolar" may not be commonly found in fixed idiomatic expressions, it can be used in some figurative phrases. Here are a few examples where it conveys a deeper meaning or specific context:
Sobrevolar el tema
"To hover over the topic."
En la reunión, decidieron sobrevolar el tema de la crisis económica.
"In the meeting, they decided to hover over the topic of the economic crisis."
Sobrevolar los acontecimientos
"To fly over the events."
Necesitamos sobrevolar los acontecimientos recientes antes de tomar decisiones.
"We need to fly over the recent events before making decisions."
Sobrevolar la situación
"To survey the situation."
El líder decidió sobrevolar la situación antes de dar su opinión.
"The leader decided to survey the situation before giving his opinion."
Sobrevolar ideas
"To churn over ideas."
En el brainstorming, sobrevolamos ideas novedosas para el proyecto.
"In the brainstorming, we churned over new ideas for the project."
The term "sobrevolar" is derived from the Spanish prefix "sobre-" meaning "over" and "volar," the infinitive form of "to fly." The combination suggests the act of flying above something.
This word has relevance in various contexts from casual conversations about nature and birds to technical discussions in aviation, making it a versatile verb in the Spanish language.