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How to Say "cartoon" in Spanish

English → Spanish

dibujo

dee-BOO-ho/diˈβu.xo/

nounA1general
Use 'dibujo' when referring to a simple, often hand-drawn illustration, which might be humorous but isn't necessarily a comic strip.
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').

tira

TEE-rah/ˈti.ɾa/

nounB1general
Use 'tira' specifically when talking about a comic strip, a short series of humorous drawings in a sequence, usually found in newspapers or online.
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 vs. Tira

Learners often confuse 'dibujo' and 'tira' by using 'dibujo' for comic strips. Remember that 'tira' specifically refers to a sequence of humorous drawings, like a comic strip, while 'dibujo' is a more general term for any drawing.

Related Translations

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