Inklingo

How to Say "tape" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “tape” is “cinta” — use 'cinta' when referring to adhesive tape for sticking things, or for measuring tape. It's also used for older magnetic media like cassette tapes or VHS tapes..

English → Spanish

cinta

SEEN-tah/ˈsin̪.t̪a/

nounA2general
Use 'cinta' when referring to adhesive tape for sticking things, or for measuring tape. It's also used for older magnetic media like cassette tapes or VHS tapes.
A roll of transparent adhesive tape with the end slightly peeled off.

Examples

Pega el póster a la pared con un poco de cinta adhesiva.

Stick the poster to the wall with a bit of adhesive tape.

Necesitas una cinta métrica para saber cuánto mide la mesa.

You need a measuring tape to know how long the table is.

Encontré una caja de viejas cintas de vídeo en el sótano.

I found a box of old video tapes in the basement.

La película ganó el premio a la mejor cinta extranjera.

The movie won the award for best foreign film.

Specific Tape Types

To specify which kind of tape you mean, you usually add a clarifying adjective, such as 'adhesiva' (adhesive) or 'métrica' (measuring).

Movie Synonym

'Cinta' is a slightly more formal or cinematic way to say 'película' (movie), often used by critics or in awards shows.

Confusing Tape Types

Mistake: “¿Dónde está la cinta de medir?”

Correction: Although understandable, the standard term is 'cinta métrica', meaning 'metric tape' or 'measuring tape'.

grabar

/grah-BAHR//ɡraˈβaɾ/

verbA2general
Use 'grabar' when you mean to record something using audio or video, like making a recording of a show or a conversation.
A large, simple illustration of a silver vintage studio microphone placed on a stand, suggesting the act of recording sound.

Examples

¿Puedes grabar el partido de fútbol para verlo después?

Can you record the soccer game so we can watch it later?

Estoy grabando un mensaje de voz para mi madre.

I am recording a voice message for my mother.

Asegúrate de grabar todos los cambios en el documento.

Make sure to save all the changes in the document.

Simple Conjugation

Since 'grabar' is a regular '-ar' verb, you can use its endings as a template for hundreds of other common verbs like 'hablar' (to talk) and 'cantar' (to sing).

tira

TEE-rah/ˈti.ɾa/

nounA2general
Use 'tira' specifically when referring to a narrow strip of material, which can include a strip of tape, or a strip of fabric.
A long, narrow piece of brightly colored red fabric lying flat.

Examples

Corta una tira de tela para envolver el regalo.

Cut a strip of fabric to wrap the gift.

La policía puso una tira amarilla alrededor de la escena.

The police put a yellow strip (tape) around the scene.

Gender Reminder

Even though it ends in '-a', remember that 'tira' is always feminine, so you must use 'la tira' or 'una tira'.

grabación

nounA1general
Use 'grabación' to refer to the actual recording or the physical medium it's stored on, though this is less common now with digital media.

Examples

¿Puedes subir el volumen de la grabación, por favor?

Can you turn up the volume of the recording, please?

Confusing 'cinta' and 'grabar'

Learners often confuse 'cinta' (tape, the object) with 'grabar' (to record, the action). Remember that 'grabar' is a verb for the act of making a recording, while 'cinta' refers to the physical tape itself or adhesive tape.

Related Translations

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