Inklingo

How to Say "card" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “card” is “tarjeta” — use this for general-purpose cards made of plastic or thick paper, such as credit cards, ID cards, or business cards..

English → Spanish

tarjeta

/tar-HEH-tah//taɾˈxeta/

nounA1general
Use this for general-purpose cards made of plastic or thick paper, such as credit cards, ID cards, or business cards.
A simple solid blue rectangular plastic card, similar to a bank or identification card, lying flat.

Examples

¿Aceptan pagos con tarjeta de débito?

Do you accept debit card payments?

Necesitas mostrar tu tarjeta de embarque para subir al avión.

You need to show your boarding pass (card) to get on the plane.

Olvidé mi tarjeta de identificación en casa.

I forgot my ID card at home.

El árbitro le mostró la tarjeta roja después de la falta.

The referee showed him the red card after the foul.

Always Feminine

Since 'tarjeta' ends in '-a' and refers to a thing, use feminine articles and adjectives: 'la tarjeta nueva' (the new card).

Using 'papel' for 'card'

Mistake: “Me dio un papel de cumpleaños.”

Correction: Me dio una tarjeta de cumpleaños. ('Papel' means general paper, 'tarjeta' means a specific formatted card.)

carta

/KAR-tah//ˈkaɾta/

nounB1general
Use this word specifically when referring to cards used for playing games.
A single rectangular playing card lying face up, displaying a large, simple red heart symbol in the center.

Examples

Me gusta jugar a las cartas con mis amigos los viernes.

I like to play cards with my friends on Fridays.

Roba una carta del mazo.

Draw a card from the deck.

Puso sus cartas sobre la mesa para mostrar que había ganado.

He put his cards on the table to show he had won.

tarjeta

nounB2sports
Use this for penalty cards, specifically the red or yellow card, shown in sports.

Examples

El árbitro le mostró la tarjeta roja después de la falta.

The referee showed him the red card after the foul.

General vs. Game Cards

The most frequent error learners make is using 'carta' for all types of cards. Remember that 'tarjeta' is the default for payment, ID, or sports cards, while 'carta' is reserved for playing cards.

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