rolar

Senses

1. 1.

   to roll

   to move by turning over and over, or to cause something to move this way

2. 2.

   to happen, to go down

   (informal) to take place or occur, especially spontaneously or unexpectedly

3. 3.

   to scroll

   to move text or images up or down on a screen

4. 4.

   to work out, to be possible

   (informal) to be feasible or viable; to be able to happen

Examples

• "A bola rolou para fora do campo."

  The ball rolled out of bounds.

• "Vai rolar uma festa na casa do João hoje à noite."

  There's going to be a party at João's house tonight.

• "Não vai rolar sair hoje, estou muito cansado."

  Going out today isn't going to work out, I'm too tired.

Usage

Very common in informal Brazilian Portuguese with the meanings "to happen" or "to work out" (e.g., "Rola?" = "Can it happen?/Is it on?"). Often used in expressions like "rolar um clima" (there's chemistry/tension) or "tá rolando" (it's happening/going on). The literal "to roll" meaning is less frequent in everyday speech.