Inklingo

How to Say "cartridge" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “cartridge” is “cartucho” — use 'cartucho' when referring to ammunition or bullets, especially in a military or hunting context.

English → Spanish

cartucho

kar-TOO-chokaɾˈtut͡ʃo

nounB2general
Use 'cartucho' when referring to ammunition or bullets, especially in a military or hunting context.
A single metallic brass bullet casing with a pointed tip.

Examples

La policía encontró varios cartuchos vacíos en la escena.

The police found several empty cartridges at the scene.

Esta escopeta utiliza cartuchos de calibre doce.

This shotgun uses twelve-gauge shells.

No nos quedan muchos cartuchos, hay que ahorrar munición.

We don't have many cartridges left; we must save ammunition.

Specific context matters

While 'bala' is the projectile that flies, 'cartucho' is the whole unit (casing + powder + bullet) used in the gun.

tinta

teen-tahˈtinta

nounA1general
Use 'tinta' specifically for an 'ink cartridge' used in pens or printers.
A simple, open glass inkwell containing black ink, with a feather quill resting against the bottle.

Examples

Se me acabó la tinta de la pluma justo antes de terminar el examen.

I ran out of ink in my pen right before finishing the exam.

Esta impresora necesita cartuchos de tinta negra y de color.

This printer needs black and color ink cartridges.

Gender Alert

Remember that 'tinta' is always feminine, so you must use feminine words with it, like 'la tinta' or 'mucha tinta'.

Cartucho vs. Tinta

The most common mistake is using 'cartucho' when you mean an ink cartridge. Remember, 'tinta' is exclusively for ink, while 'cartucho' usually refers to ammunition.

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