ensayar
verbCEFR B1
What does “ensayar” mean in English?
to rehearse — to practise a performance
to rehearse — to practise a performance (play, concert, dance) in preparation for a public showing; el ensayo general = dress rehearsal
Example sentences
El grupo de teatro ensayó la obra durante tres meses antes del estreno para que todo saliera perfecto y no hubiera improvisaciones.
The theatre group rehearsed the play for three months before the premiere so that everything would go perfectly and there would be no improvisation.
Mañana tenemos el ensayo general, así que todos los actores tienen que llegar con el vestuario puesto y sin leer el guion.
Tomorrow we have the dress rehearsal, so all the actors need to arrive in costume and without reading the script.
Cuando ensayábamos, el director nos paraba constantemente para corregir la entonación y los movimientos en el escenario.
When we were rehearsing, the director kept stopping us constantly to correct the intonation and the movements on stage.
How to use it
Ensayar means 'to rehearse' — to practise a performance (play, concert, dance) in preparation for a public showing. It is transitive: ensayar una obra, ensayar una canción. It can also be intransitive when the activity is clear: ensayamos esta tarde (we're rehearsing this afternoon). Note the important polysemy of the noun ensayo: (1) rehearsal (el ensayo general = dress rehearsal), and (2) literary essay (a genre of non-fiction writing). The verb ensayar is exclusively the rehearsal sense; the literary essay sense only appears as the noun. Distinct from practicar (individual skill practice, not performance preparation).
Common mistake
Ensayo as a noun has two completely different meanings depending on context: el ensayo teatral = a rehearsal; el ensayo literario = an essay (a genre of non-fiction). The verb ensayar only covers the rehearsal sense. Distinct from practicar: you practise scales (practicas las escalas) but you rehearse a play (ensayas la obra) — rehearsal implies a complete structured run-through.