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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

 Play Caption
 

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

 Play Caption

 

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

 Play Caption

 

El semicírculo (the semicircle)

 

"semicírculo",

"semicírculo" [semicircle],

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

 Play Caption

 

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

 Play Caption

 

La cruz (the cross)

 

es la cruz de piedra.

is the stone cross.

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

 Play Caption

 

La estrella (the star)

 

y la estrella.

and the star.

Caption 27, Ana Carolina Símbolos de Navidad

 Play Caption

 

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

 Play Caption

 

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

 Play Caption

 

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

 Play Caption

 

La pirámide (the pyramid)

 

en forma de pirámide invertida.

in the shape of an inverted pyramid.

Caption 14, Víctor en Caracas Centro comercial

 Play Caption

 

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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