Inklingo

How to Say "clip" in Spanish

English → Spanish

video

VEE-deh-ohˈbi.ðe.o

nounA1general
Use 'video' when referring to a short, often informal, piece of moving footage, commonly found online or shared via messaging.
A brightly colored illustration of a simple rectangular screen (like a tablet) showing a colorful animated scene of a sun setting over a green hill.

Examples

¿Viste el video viral de los gatos bailando?

Did you see the viral video of the dancing cats?

Necesito editar este video para mi clase de historia.

I need to edit this video for my history class.

La calidad del video en 4K es impresionante, aunque requiere mucho almacenamiento.

The 4K video quality is impressive, even though it requires a lot of storage.

Masculine Noun Rule

Even though 'video' ends in 'o,' it's always masculine in Spanish. Use 'el video' or 'un video,' never 'la video.'

Misgendering the Noun

Mistake: “Voy a ver la video.”

Correction: Voy a ver el video. (Remember, it's always masculine: EL video.)

pinza

PEEN-sahˈpinθa

nounA1general
Use 'pinza' for a small clamp or clasp used to hold things, such as a hair clip or a clip used to close a bag.
A wooden clothespin attached to a simple laundry line.

Examples

Necesito una pinza para cerrar la bolsa de patatas.

I need a clip to close the bag of chips.

Pon las pinzas en la cuerda de tender.

Put the clothespins on the clothesline.

Se puso una pinza azul en el pelo.

She put a blue clip in her hair.

Singular vs. Plural

When talking about a single item like a clothespin, use 'la pinza'. However, just like 'scissors' in English, many people use the plural 'las pinzas' to refer to one tool with two parts.

Clipping vs. Pinning

Mistake: “Using 'alfiler' for a clothespin.”

Correction: Use 'pinza' for things that pinch/squeeze and 'alfiler' for things that poke/pierce (like a safety pin).

cargador

kar-gah-dorkaɾɣaˈðoɾ

nounB2technical
Choose 'cargador' specifically when talking about the magazine of a firearm, which holds the ammunition.
A metallic ammunition magazine for a firearm.

Examples

El agente insertó el cargador en la pistola.

The agent inserted the magazine into the pistol.

Se quedó sin munición y tuvo que cambiar el cargador.

He ran out of ammunition and had to change the clip.

¿Cuántas balas caben en este cargador?

How many bullets fit in this magazine?

Abstract Connections

Just like a phone charger 'loads' energy, a gun 'cargador' loads ammunition. It all comes from 'cargar' (to load).

sujetador

soo-heh-tah-dorsu.xe.taˈðoɾ

nounB2general
Use 'sujetador' for a device that fastens or holds items together, like a clip for cables or papers.
A large, silver metal binder clip used to hold papers together.

Examples

El sujetador de los cables está suelto.

The cable fastener is loose.

Utiliza un sujetador metálico para que los papeles no se muevan.

Use a metal clip so the papers don't move.

Este modelo incluye un sujetador para el teléfono en el coche.

This model includes a phone holder for the car.

Functional Naming

Spanish often creates nouns by adding '-dor' to a verb. Since 'sujetar' means 'to hold', a 'sujetador' is literally 'a thing that holds'.

Confusing 'clip' for videos vs. physical objects

Learners often mistakenly use 'pinza' or 'sujetador' when they mean a short video. Remember that 'video' is the correct term for online or short media clips, while 'pinza' and 'sujetador' refer to physical fasteners.

Related Translations

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