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How to Say "cartoon" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “cartoon” is “dibujos animados” — use 'dibujos animados' as an adjective when referring to animated movies or TV shows, often as part of the set phrase 'películas de dibujos animados' or 'series de dibujos animados'.

dibujos animadosA1

Use 'dibujos animados' as an adjective when referring to animated movies or TV shows, often as part of the set phrase 'películas de dibujos animados' or 'series de dibujos animados'.

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caricatura🔊A1

Use 'caricatura' when referring to a specific animated TV show or movie, especially one you watched as a child.

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historieta🔊A2

Use 'historieta' for a single-panel comic or a short series of drawings, often found in newspapers or magazines.

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tira🔊B1

Use 'tira' specifically for a short, humorous visual piece, most commonly found as a 'tira cómica' in a publication.

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dibujo🔊A1

While 'dibujo' means 'drawing', it can sometimes refer to a simple, often humorous drawing, but it's less common for 'cartoon' than other terms.

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English → Spanish

dibujos animados

adjectiveA1general
Use 'dibujos animados' as an adjective when referring to animated movies or TV shows, often as part of the set phrase 'películas de dibujos animados' or 'series de dibujos animados'.

Examples

Me encantan las películas de dibujos animados.

I love cartoon movies.

caricatura

kah-ree-kah-TOO-rahkaɾikaˈtuɾa

nounA1general
Use 'caricatura' when referring to a specific animated TV show or movie, especially one you watched as a child.
A friendly, brightly colored animated dog standing on its hind legs in a grassy field.

Examples

Mi caricatura favorita cuando era niño era Mickey Mouse.

My favorite cartoon when I was a kid was Mickey Mouse.

Un artista en el parque me hizo una caricatura con una nariz muy grande.

An artist in the park drew a caricature of me with a very big nose.

Ese programa de noticias es una caricatura de la realidad.

That news program is a caricature of reality.

Always Feminine

Even if the caricature is of a man, the word remains feminine: 'la caricatura'. You would say 'una caricatura de mi padre' (a caricature of my father).

Plural Form

To talk about more than one, simply add an 's' to the end: 'las caricaturas'.

Confusing with 'Cartoon' (Material)

Mistake: “Using 'caricatura' to talk about a cardboard box.”

Correction: Use 'cartón' for the material. 'Caricatura' is only for the drawing or the show.

historieta

ees-toh-ree-eh-tahistoˈɾjeta

nounA2general
Use 'historieta' for a single-panel comic or a short series of drawings, often found in newspapers or magazines.
A row of three colorful panels showing a small cat chasing a red ball.

Examples

Leí una historieta muy divertida en el periódico hoy.

I read a very funny comic strip in the newspaper today.

De niño, mi habitación estaba llena de historietas de superhéroes.

As a child, my room was full of superhero comic books.

Mafalda es la historieta más famosa de Argentina.

Mafalda is the most famous comic strip from Argentina.

Always Feminine

Since it ends in '-a' and comes from 'historia', it is always feminine. Use 'la' or 'una' with it.

Making it Plural

To talk about more than one, simply add an '-s' to the end: 'las historietas'.

Historieta vs. Historia

Mistake: “Usar 'historia' para referirse a un cómic.”

Correction: Use 'historieta' when there are drawings involved. 'Historia' usually refers to a text-based story or history as a school subject.

tira

TEE-rahˈti.ɾa

nounB1general
Use 'tira' specifically for a short, humorous visual piece, most commonly found as a 'tira cómica' in a publication.
A horizontal sequence of three simple cartoon-style illustrations showing a character performing a small action progression.

Examples

Mi parte favorita del periódico es siempre la tira cómica.

My favorite part of the newspaper is always the comic strip.

Esta tira es muy graciosa, ¡mira el dibujo del perro!

This strip is very funny, look at the drawing of the dog!

dibujo

dee-BOO-hodiˈβu.xo

nounA1general
While 'dibujo' means 'drawing', it can sometimes refer to a simple, often humorous drawing, but it's less common for 'cartoon' than other terms.
A simple line drawing of a smiling sun on a piece of white paper, made with a black charcoal pencil.

Examples

Mi hija hizo un dibujo de un perro y me lo regaló.

My daughter made a drawing of a dog and gave it to me.

El arquitecto nos mostró el dibujo de la nueva casa.

The architect showed us the design/drawing of the new house.

Necesito un buen dibujo técnico para entender cómo funciona esta máquina.

I need a good technical drawing to understand how this machine works.

Gender Check

Remember that 'dibujo' is always masculine, so you must use 'el' or 'un' before it (e.g., 'el dibujo', 'un dibujo bonito').

Cartoon vs. Comic Strip

Learners often confuse 'caricatura' and 'historieta'/'tira'. Remember that 'caricatura' usually refers to an animated show or movie, while 'historieta' and 'tira' are for printed comic strips or single-panel jokes.

Related Translations

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