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tijera

tee-HEH-rah/tiˈxeɾa/

“tijera” means “scissors” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

scissors

Also: shears
NounfA1
Spain
A pair of shiny metal scissors with bright red handles sitting on a clean surface.

📝 In Action

Necesito una tijera para terminar mi tarea de arte.

A1

I need a pair of scissors to finish my art homework.

Las tijeras de cocina no están en el cajón.

A2

The kitchen scissors are not in the drawer.

Ten cuidado con la punta de la tijera.

B1

Be careful with the tip of the scissors.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • cizallas (large shears)

Common Collocations

  • tijeras de podar – pruning shears
  • cortar con tijera – to cut with scissors
  • tijeras de manicura – nail scissors

Idioms & Expressions

  • meter tijera – To cut back or censor something (like a budget or a text)

scissor kick

Also: scissors (exercise)
NounfB2
A soccer player in mid-air performing a horizontal kick with legs crossed like scissors to hit a soccer ball.

📝 In Action

El jugador anotó un golazo de tijera.

B2

The player scored an amazing goal with a scissor kick.

Hicimos tres series de tijeras en la clase de pilates.

B1

We did three sets of scissors in the pilates class.

La tijera es una técnica difícil de dominar en natación.

C1

The scissor kick is a difficult technique to master in swimming.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • chilena (bicycle kick (similar but different angle))

Common Collocations

  • salto de tijera – scissor jump
  • remate de tijera – scissor strike (in soccer)

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: tijera

Question 1 of 3

How do you say 'a pair of scissors' in Spanish using the plural form?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
tijeretazo(a large snip or a major budget cut) — Noun
tijeretear(to snip repeatedly or gossip) — Verb
tijeretas(earwigs (the insect)) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'tonsoria' (shears), derived from 'tondere' which means 'to shear' or 'to clip'. It originally referred to the large shears used to clip sheep's wool.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: tesouraCatalan: tisores

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is it 'tijera' or 'tijeras'?

Both are correct! Just like in English we can say 'a pair of scissors,' in Spanish you can use 'la tijera' (singular) or 'las tijeras' (plural) to talk about the same single tool.

Does 'tijera' have a masculine form?

No, 'tijera' is always feminine. There is no such thing as 'un tijero'.

How do I say 'to cut with scissors'?

You use the verb 'cortar' (to cut) combined with 'con' (with). For example: 'Cortar con las tijeras'.