How to Say "to clip" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to clip” is “recortar” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Los niños están recortando figuras de papel para el proyecto.
The children are cutting out paper figures for the project.
Necesito recortarme un poco la barba.
I need to trim my beard a little.
Recortó la foto para que cupiera en el marco.
He trimmed the photo so it would fit in the frame.
Cortar vs. Recortar
Use 'cortar' for a single cut or slice (like bread), but use 'recortar' when you are following a shape or just taking a little bit off the edges (like a trim).
Doing it to yourself
When you trim your own hair or nails, add 'se' to make it 'recortarse'. For example: 'Me recorto las uñas' (I trim my nails).
Cutting out shapes
Mistake: “Voy a cortar un círculo del papel.”
Correction: Voy a recortar un círculo del papel. 'Cortar' implies just making a cut; 'recortar' implies the act of cutting out a specific shape.
Related Translations
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