Shapes in Spanish: Ultimate Vocabulary for 15 Geometric Shapes in Spanish + Audio

¡Bienvenidos! (Welcome!)

Imagine you’re visiting a museum where you can see the most special geometric shapes.

You want to learn how to name them in Spanish. Everyday Spanish made a great, funny and enjoyable video on geometric shapes in Spanish:

Effortless Answers

In Spanish, the word for ‘shape’ is: forma.
¿Cuál es la forma de este objeto? (What is the shape of this object?)
Vamos a aprender las formas geométricas. (Let’s learn the geometric shapes.)
Esta figura tiene una forma irregular. (This figure has an irregular shape.)

This blog post will give you the ultimate vocabulary for 15 most commonly used shapes in Spanish. And of course, all of this with examples!

1. El círculo (circle)

A circle is one of the most basic and recognizable shapes.

shapes in spanish - circle

In Spanish, it’s called “el círculo“. It’s a closed shape where all points on its edge are equidistant from a central point.

An example sentence is:

“El sol es un círculo perfecto en el cielo.” [The sun is a perfect circle in the sky.]

This simple yet beautiful shape can be found all around us, from the Olympic rings to the wheels of a car. (And by the way, since we mentioned the olympics, check out the article about olympics in Spanish.)

2. El cuadrado (square)

Another geometric shape is the square, or “el cuadrado” in Spanish.

shapes in spanish - squares

A square is a polygon with four equal sides and four right angles.

In a sentence, you can use it like this:

“El pañuelo tiene forma de un cuadrado perfecto.” [The handkerchief is shaped like a perfect square.]

Squares can be found all around in our environment, from bathroom tiles to books and boxes.

3. El rectángulo (rectangle)

Continuing with four-sided shapes, we have “el rectángulo” (the rectangle).

shapes in spanish - rectangle

A rectangle is a parallelogram with four right angles. And what could be shaped like a rectangle? Maybe a dining table?

“La mesa de comedor tiene forma de un rectángulo alargado.” [The dining table is shaped like an elongated rectangle.]

Rectangles are everywhere in our daily lives, from windows and doors to playing fields.

4. El triángulo (triangle)

El triángulo” (the triangle) is another basic geometric shape in Spanish.

shapes in spanish - triangle

A triangle is a polygon with three sides and three angles. A roof of the house is a good example.

El techo de la casa tiene forma de un triángulo isósceles.” [The roof of the house is shaped like an isosceles triangle.]

Triangles can be found everywhere, from traffic signs to building structures.

5. El rombo (rhombus)

Let’s move on to a slightly more complex shape: “el rombo” (the rhombus).

shapes in spanish - rhombus

A rhombus is a parallelogram with four equal sides, but its angles are not right angles.

A sentence with a rhombus is:

“La ventana tiene forma de un rombo alargado.” [The window is shaped like an elongated rhombus.]

Rhombuses can be found in architectural designs and decorative patterns.

6. El óvalo (oval)

El óvalo” (the oval) is a curved shape similar to a circle but more elongated.

shapes in spanish - oval

A mirror could be shaped liked this:

“El espejo del baño tiene forma de un óvalo elegante.” [The bathroom mirror is shaped like an elegant oval.]

Ovals can be found everywhere, from sports stadiums to serving plates.

7. La esfera (sphere)

Moving on to three-dimensional shapes, we have “la esfera” (the sphere).

shapes in spanish - sphere

A sphere is a geometric solid with a curved surface where all points are equidistant from the center.

Let’s use it in a sentence like this:

“El planeta Tierra tiene forma de una esfera casi perfecta.” [The planet Earth is shaped like an almost perfect sphere.]

Spheres are found in nature: fruits and planets, and also in human-made objects like balls and globes.

8. El cubo (cube)

Another important three-dimensional shape is “el cubo” (the cube).

shapes in spanish - cube

A cube is a polyhedron with six equal square faces.

Cubes are common in nature:

“El dado de juego tiene forma de un cubo perfecto.” [The game die is shaped like a perfect cube.]

Cubes can be found in games, puzzles, and even architecture. It’s pretty common if you stop and think about it for a minute.

9. El cilindro (cylinder)

El cilindro” (the cylinder) is another key three-dimensional shape in Spanish.

shapes in spanish - cylinder

A cylinder is a geometric solid with two equal circular bases and a curved surface connecting them.

For example:

“La lata de refresco tiene forma de un cilindro delgado.” [The soda can is shaped like a thin cylinder.]

Cylinders are used in a wide variety of objects, from pipes to pencils.

10. El cono (cone)

Another important three-dimensional shape is “el cono” (the cone).

shapes in spanish - cone

A cone is a geometric solid with a circular base and a curved surface that extends to a point called the vertex.

An example sentence with the cone is:

“El sombrero de fiesta tiene forma de un cono divertido.” [The party hat is shaped like a fun cone.]

Cones can be found in everyday objects like traffic cones and ice cream cones.

11. La pirámide (pyramid)

La pirámide” (the pyramid) is an iconic three-dimensional shape in Spanish.

shapes in spanish - pyramid

A pyramid is a polyhedron with a polygonal base and triangular faces that meet at a common point at the top.

For example:

“Las Pirámides de Egipto son unas de las estructuras más reconocibles del mundo.” [The Pyramids of Egypt are some of the most recognizable structures in the world.]

Pyramids are found in ancient architecture and can also be found in modern objects like food packaging.

12. El prisma (prism)

Next, we have “el prisma” (the prism), a three-dimensional shape with equal and parallel polygonal bases and rectangular lateral faces.

shapes in spanish - prism

Talking about a prism in Spanish is possible with this sentence:

“El adorno navideño tiene forma de un prisma triangular.” [The Christmas ornament is shaped like a triangular prism.]

Prisms can be found in everyday objects like pencils, as well as in architectural structures and engineering components.

13. El hexágono (hexagon)

Going back to two-dimensional shapes, we have “el hexágono” (the hexagon).

A hexagon is a polygon with six sides and six angles.

shapes in spanish - hexagon

For example:

Los paneles de la colmena tienen forma de hexágonos perfectos.” [The honeycomb panels are shaped like perfect hexagons.]

Hexagons can be found in nature, in honeycombs, as well as in architectural designs and decorative patterns.

14. El pentágono (pentagon)

Another important polygon is “el pentágono” (the pentagon).

shapes in spanish - pentagon

A pentagon is a five-sided polygon with five angles.

“La señal de alto tiene forma de un pentágono rojo.” [The stop sign is shaped like a red pentagon.]

Pentagons can be found in different contexts, from road signs to architectural designs and even military structures.

15. La elipse (ellipse)

Finally, we have “la elipse” (the ellipse) in this blog post, a curved shape similar to an oval but with a more precise mathematical definition.

shapes in spanish - ellipse

An example with an oval is:

“La órbita de los planetas alrededor del sol tiene forma de una elipse.” [The orbit of planets around the sun is shaped like an ellipse.]

Ellipses can be found in astronomy to architecture and even in sports fields.

Practice Spanish shape vocabulary with our worksheets

Fill in the blanks with the correct shape vocabulary in Spanish!

This is just a small example of how our practice worksheets look like. Curious to learn more? Click the button below, and sign up now to access our Full Practice Worksheets!

Learn geometric shapes in Spanish with Conversation Based Chunking

Conversation Based Chunking is an effective method for learning Spanish vocabulary, including geometric shapes in Spanish.

It is all about learning words and phrases in “chunks” or groups, in the context of real conversations.

You can learn “el círculo“, “el cuadrado” along with phrases such as “La pelota tiene forma de círculo” or “La caja es un cuadrado perfecto“.

These lexical chunks connect the shapes to everyday situations, making them easier to remember. Sign up now, and learn more about this method on Effortless Conversations!

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