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The Shapes in Spanish

Do you know the names of the shapes in Spanish? Today's lesson will teach you what the most basic Spanish shapes are called as well as the words for more advanced Spanish shapes and figures. Let's get started! 

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How Do You Say "Shape" in Spanish?

Let's start with the basics! Listen to the following caption from the Yabla Spanish video library to hear how to say "shapes" in Spanish:

 

Puedes jugar con diferentes formas y colores

You can play with different shapes and colors

Caption 76, Manos a la obra Papel picado para Día de muertos

 Play Caption

 

Now, let's hear the Spanish word for the similar concept of "figures":

 

como los números o las figuras geométricas,

like numbers or geometric figures,

Caption 16, Carlos explica Vocabulario de las matemáticas - Part 1

 Play Caption

 

Basic Spanish Shapes

Next, we'll learn the Spanish names for the most classic shapes, including their definite articles, and hear them in context:

 

El círculo (the circle)

 

Vamos a marcar el círculo

We're going to mark the circle,

Caption 47, Maoli Calabaza de Halloween

 Play Caption

 

El cuadrado (the square)

 

se presenta como un cuadrado de ocho por ocho

appears as an eight by eight square

Caption 18, Aprendiendo con Carlos El ajedrez - Part 1

 Play Caption

 

El rectángulo (the rectangle)

 

Puede ser un cuadrado, un rectángulo.

It can be a square, a rectangle.

Caption 41, María Fernanda Hacer un turbante

 Play Caption

 

El triángulo (the triangle)

 

Obtendrás un triángulo.

You will get a triangle.

Caption 39, Manos a la obra Separadores de libros: Charmander

 Play Caption

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Advanced Spanish Shapes

Let's move on to the Spanish words for some slightly more sophisticated shapes and hear them pronounced: 

 

El óvalo (the oval)

 

—podríamos decir que es un óvalo— 

we could say that it's an oval

Caption 49, Con Marta por Madrid La Plaza del Sol - Part 2

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El rombo (the diamond/rhombus)

 

Lograrás un rombo como éste.

You will get a diamond like this one.

Caption 45, Manos a la obra Separadores de libros: Charmander

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El trapecio (the trapezoid)

Interestingly, this word also means "trapezius" (the muscle) in Spanish as well as "trapeze," as in the following example, which we've included for pronunciation purposes:

 

como un número de trapecio,

as a trapeze act,

Caption 18, Circo Berlín Jose - Part 2

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El semicírculo (the semicircle)

 

"semicírculo",

"semicírculo" [semicircle],

Caption 74, Carlos explica Los prefijos en español - Part 7

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Polygons in Spanish

Figures with at least three but typically five or more sides and angles are called los polígonos (the polygons) in Spanish. Let's learn their Spanish names along with their respective numbers of lados (sides) and ángulos (angles):

 

El pentágono (the pentagon): 5 

 

El hexágono (the hexagon): 6

 

El hectágono (the hectagon): 7 

 

El octógono (the octagon): 8 

 

El nonógono (the nonagon): 9

 

El decágono (the decagon): 10 

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Bonus Spanish Shapes

While not "official" geometric shapes, figures like the heart, cross, star, etc., are recognized universally as shapes and/or symbols. Let's learn how to say them in Spanish!

 

El corazón (the heart)

 

a hacer pancitos de corazón, pancitos decorados y este tipo de, de...

into making heart rolls, decorated rolls, and this kind of, of...

Caption 18, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Luis y el pan de muerto

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La cruz (the cross)

 

es la cruz de piedra.

is the stone cross.

Caption 16, Viajando con Carlos Popayán - Colombia - Part 2

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La estrella (the star)

 

y la estrella.

and the star.

Caption 27, Ana Carolina Símbolos de Navidad

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La flecha (the arrow)

 

con la punta bien afilada en forma de flecha,

with a well-sharpened tip in the shape of an arrow

Caption 32, Isabel Lavesa Dibujo en acuarela

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3-D Spanish Shapes

Do you know how to say 3-D in Spanish? You could say tridimensional (three-dimensional) or simply use the Spanish pronuncation of 3-D, as we hear here: 

 

Y las obras están sacadas de modelos 3-D del programa Google Earth.

And the works are taken from 3-D models from the Google Earth program.

Caption 24, El estudio De Julio Sarramián

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That said, we'll conclude this lesson with the names of several of the most common formas tridimensionales (3-D shapes):

 

La esfera (sphere)

 

El cilindro (the cylinder)

 

El cubo (the cube)

 

El cono (the cone)

 

¿podría ponerme un cono de chocolate por favor?

can you give me a chocolate cone please?

Caption 36, Málaga Calle Larios

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La pirámide (the pyramid)

 

en forma de pirámide invertida.

in the shape of an inverted pyramid.

Caption 14, Víctor en Caracas Centro comercial

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El prisma rectangular (the rectangular prism)

 

That's all for today. We hope that you have found this lesson on the names of the shapes in Spanish useful, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments. ¡Hasta pronto!

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Beyond ¿Cómo Estás?: 10 Ways to Say "How Are You?" in Spanish

If you are wondering how to say "How are you?" in Spanish, the standard, casual way of doing so is: ¿Cómo estás? However, there are many more ways to say "How are you?" in Spanish, and this lesson will cover many of the most common. 

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"How are you?" in Spanish: The Standard Way

As we just mentioned, ¿Cómo estás? is the best-known, informal way of saying "How are you?" in Spanish. But, how do you say "How are you?" in formal Spanish? In that case, you will need to address the other person using the formal form of "you," usted:

 

¿Cómo está usted? 

How are you?

Caption 25, Cleer y Lida Saludar en español

 Play Caption
 

That said, as there are many ways to say "you" in Spanish, let's take a look at how to say "How are you?" in Spanish with the forms of estar (to be) that correspond to each of the additional subject pronouns that mean "you": vos (singular, informal "you" in certain regions), vosotros/as (informal plural "you" in Spain), and ustedes (the prevalent plural "you" in most countries). 

 

Vos:

 

Bien. ¿Cómo estás vos?

Fine. How are you?

Caption 30, Muñeca Brava 18 - La Apuesta - Part 6

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Note that while the verb conjugations for vos and typically differ, in the case of estar, they are exactly the same.

 

Vosotros/as:

 

¿Cómo estáis?

How are you?

Caption 3, Isabel Lavesa Dibujo en acuarela

 Play Caption

 

Ustedes:

 

Hola, amigos de Yabla. ¿Cómo están?

Hello, friends of Yabla. How are you?

Captions 1-2, María Fernanda Mascarilla de aguacate

 Play Caption

 

You may have noticed that the subject pronoun (vos) is only explicitly stated in the first of the three examples since doing so is optional in Spanish, where specific verb conjugations usually let us know who is being addressed or spoken about. 

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10 Alternative Ways to Say "How are you?" in Spanish

Just like in English you can use alternatives such as "How's it going?" "What's up?" "What's going on?" etc., there are a plethora of more slangy ways to say "How are you?" in Spanish. Let's look at several.

 

1. ¿Qué tal?

The English translations for ¿Qué tal? range from "How are you?" to "How's it going?" and "What's up?" Let's hear it in action:

 

Por ejemplo, si yo digo: ¿Qué tal?

For example, if I say: How's it going?

Caption 2, Curso de español ¿Qué tal? Ni bien ni mal...

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As a side note, although bien (well) and mal (poorly) are typical answers to this question, the video ¿Qué tal? Ni bien ni mal will give you several ways to say you're somewhere in between. 

 

2. ¿Qué hay?

While ¿Qué hay? could be used to literally ask "What is there?" or "What's available?" it can also be used to ask someone "What's up?" or "What's going on?"

 

¿Qué hay, amigo?

What's up, friend

 

You might also hear the following variation:

 

 ¿Qué hay de nuevo, compadre

What's new, buddy?

 

And, if you want to sound like a true Colombian, you can try this alternative version of ¿Qué hay? with the verb haber in the preterite tense instead of the present tense (literally meaning "What was there?"). Notice the slangy spelling/pronunciation variation in the second example.

 

"Ey, ¿qué hubo pues, paisa? ¿Todo bien o qué, hombre?"

"Hey, what's up, buddy? [Is] everything good or what, man?"

Caption 16, Español en las calles Varias expresiones

 Play Caption

 

¿Quiubo, quiubo, linda? ¿Cómo vas?

What's up, what's up, beautiful? How are you?

Caption 3, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 8

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3. ¿Cómo vas?

As you might have noticed, the last example above contained yet another way to say "How are you?" in Spanish: ¿Cómo vas? 

 

4. ¿Cómo te va? 

Another option for saying "How are you?" in Spanish, "¿Cómo te va?" might also be translated as "How's it going for you?" Of course, you should use the appropriate indirect object pronoun (te, le, les, or os) to correspond to the form of "you" you're intending, or just omit it entirely and just say ¿Cómo va? (How's it going?).  Let's hear a couple of examples:

 

¿Y cómo te va?

And how are you?

Caption 38, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 8 - Part 1

 Play Caption

 

¿Cómo les va?

How is it going for you?

Caption 4, Misión Chef 1 La selección - Part 3

 Play Caption

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5. ¿Cómo va todo?

Now, let's hear a straightforward Spanish translation of the English phrase "How's everything going?"

 

¿Cómo va todo? 

How's everything going?

Caption 18, Festivaliando Mono Núñez - Part 13

 Play Caption

 

6. ¿Cómo van las cosas?

"¿Cómo van las cosas?" is a similar expression that literally means "How are things going?"

 

7. ¿Cómo andas?

The verb andar, which literally means "to walk," appears in the common expression "¿Cómo andas?" which can be heard in many countries but is particularly common in Argentina (with vos, of course!).

 

En Argentina, saludamos así: "Hola, che. ¿Cómo andás? ¿Todo bien?"

In Argentina, we greet [people] like this: "Hello, hey. How's it going? [Is] everything good?"

Caption 10, Español en las calles Varias expresiones

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8. ¿Todo bien?

As you can see in the last example, "todo bien?" is an additional manner of asking someone how they are and is the equivalent of such English expressions as "All good?" "Is everything OK?" or even "How's it going?"

 

9. ¿Qué pasa?

One of the best-known ways to say "What's going on?" in Spanish is, of course, "¿Qué pasa?" This phrase can be employed to ask "what's going on" with someone in a general sense, or to inquire about a particular situation.

 

¿Qué pasa?

What's going on?

Caption 1, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 3 - Sam aprende a ligar - Part 2

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10. ¿Qué (me) cuentas? 

Our final "How are you?" in Spanish equivalent for today is "¿Qué (me) cuentas?" which literally means, "What do you tell (me)?" but serves as another manner of asking someone "What's new?" You may hear it either with or without the me

 

And these are just a handful of the many, less formal ways to say "How are you?" in Spanish, which vary widely between regions and individuals. Are you familiar with any others? How do you say "How are you?" in Spanish? Let us know with your suggestions and comments!

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Talking About Fun and Enjoyment in Spanish

How do you talk about having fun and enjoying yourself in Spanish? Today's lesson will cover several ways!

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"Fun" Spanish Verbs

There are several Spanish verbs that mean "to have fun," "have a good time," "enjoy oneself," etc. Let's take look. 

 

​Pasarlo bien 

The Spanish verb pasarlo bien can be translated as "to have fun" or "to have a good time." By extension, pasarlo muy bien is "to have a lot of fun" or "a great" or "really good time." Let's see these in action:

 

Mucho calor, pero lo pasamos muy bien

Very hot, but we had a really good time.

Caption 24, Blanca y Mariona Proyectos para el verano

 Play Caption
 

Sometimes we hear the reflexive version:

 

Nos lo pasamos muy bien. -Ah. 

We have a great time. -Oh.

Caption 31, Karla e Isabel Alquilar una habitación - Part 2

 Play Caption
 

Other times, we might hear the alternative version pasarla bien:

 

la pasamos bien y pudimos avanzar. 

we had a good time and we were able to move forward.

Caption 56, Eduardo y Luciana de Argentina Historia del Rio

 Play Caption

 

While all of our examples thus far have been in the preterite tense, now, let's see how we can use this verb to tell one or more people to "Have fun!" using either the command form or the present subjunctive form with que, as in the following captions:

 

pásenlo bien, hagan del mundo un mundo más bonito y

have a good time, make the world a nicer world, and

Caption 41, Víctor en Caracas Santa Claus

 Play Caption

 

Por supuesto que no. ¡Qué lo paséis bien! 

Of course not. Have fun!

Caption 38, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 7: La gemela - Part 6

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By the way, there are many, more slangy verbs to say you had a lot of fun in Spanish that involve the verb pasar and might be thought of as similar to the English expression "to have a blast." These include, but probably aren't limited to: pasarlo re bienpasarlo super (bien)pasarlo bomba, and pasarlo de diez

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Divertirse 

The Spanish verb divertirse also means "to have fun" or "have a good time." Let's see a couple of examples, one in the infinitive and another in the preterite:

 

Recuerda que lo importante es divertirse

Remember that the important thing is to have fun.

Caption 79, Isabel Lavesa Dibujo en acuarela

 Play Caption

 

¡Nosotros nos divertimos un montón!

We had a ton of fun!

Caption 6, Guillermina y Candelario La Peluqueria del Mar - Part 1

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Now, let's see the informal singular command form of this verb:

 

Eso es: Diviértete

That is: Have fun.

Caption 39, De consumidor a persona Short Film - Part 1

 Play Caption
 

Disfrutar

The Spanish verb disfrutar means "to enjoy." Let's take a look at it in action in its present indicative and subjunctive forms:

 

Disfruto tanto dibujando en acuarela o bocetando,

I enjoy watercolor painting or sketching so much

Caption 8, Isabel Lavesa Dibujo en acuarela

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Pues, que disfruten su estancia,

Well, [I hope] that you enjoy your stay,

Caption 68, Yabla en Yucatán Vicente

 Play Caption

 

Note that the Spanish verb disfrutar will often be accompanied by the preposition de to indicate what's being enjoyed:

 

nos vamos a disfrutar de la fiesta.

we are going to enjoy the party.

Caption 19, Marta Vocabulario de Cumpleaños

 Play Caption

 

Gozar 

The Spanish verb gozar also means "to enjoy" or "have a good time." Let's take a look at an example in the present indicative:

 

Lloran, se ríen, gozan;

They cry, they laugh, they enjoy;

Caption 34, Mariachi El amor de la música mexicana

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Like disfrutar, the verb gozar in Spanish is often accompanied by the preposition de to indicate what's being enjoyed, as in the sentence "Gozamos mucho del tiempo que pasamos en la costa" (We really enjoyed the time we spent on the coast). 

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"Fun" Spanish Nouns

Now, let's look at a couple of nouns that mean "fun" in Spanish. Note their similarity to some aforementioned Spanish verbs.

 

la diversión (the fun)

 

Pero a veces, la diversión no les dura ni diez minutos. 

But sometimes, the fun doesn't last even ten minutes for them.

Caption 34, Ana Carolina Bebés y medio ambiente

 Play Caption
 

el goce (the enjoyment, the pleasure)

 

El placer es una sensación de goce o satisfacción

Pleasure is a feeling of enjoyment or satisfaction

Caption 10, Aprendiendo con Silvia Pequeños grandes placeres - Part 1

 Play Caption

 

"Fun" Spanish Adjectives

Let's conclude with some Spanish adjectives that mean "fun" or "entertaining." Remember that adjectives must agree in terms of number and gender with the nouns they modify.

 

Divertido/a(s) (fun/enjoyable/amusing)

 

¡Guau! Eso sí que era divertido

Wow! That really was fun,

Caption 36, Aprendiendo con Silvia Recuerdos de infancia - Part 2

 Play Caption

 

Entretenido/a(s) (fun/entertaining/enjoyable)

 

pero en los libros vas a encontrar palabras nuevas en historias muy divertidas y entretenidas.

but in books, you're going to find new words in very amusing and entertaining stories.

Captions 5-6, El Aula Azul Mis libros preferidos - Part 1

 Play Caption

 

On that note, esperamos que hayan disfrutado de esta lección (we hope you've enjoyed this lesson), and don't forget to leave us your comments and suggestions

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