dibujo animado
/diˌbuxo aniˈmado/
The Spanish word for cartoon is dibujo animado.
The term dibujos animados is the standard way in many Spanish-speaking countries to refer to animated television series or movies.
Meaning: humorous drawing or strip (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of dibujo (drawing) and animado (animated).
Which one should you use?
While dibujo animado refers to animated films or shows, the word caricatura is used for a single humorous drawing or a caricature of a person.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the plural form dibujos animados, both the noun and the adjective are pluralized.
How do you pronounce it?
/diˌbuxo aniˈmado/
Did you know?
- The word animado comes from the Latin anima, which means 'soul' or 'breath'. To create a dibujo animado is literally to give a drawing a soul.
- The adjective animado can also be used to describe a person who is 'lively' or 'spirited' in a social setting.
- While a caricatura is a cartoon, the word viñeta is used to describe the specific individual panels or boxes that make up a comic strip.
Examples in context
- Me gusta mucho ver los dibujos animados, especialmente las películas de Pixar.I really enjoy watching cartoons, especially Pixar movies.
- La película de animación ganó el premio a la mejor película del año.The animated film won the award for the Best Movie of the Year.
- Recuerdo cuando veía caricaturas de Disney todos los sábados por la mañana.I remember watching Disney cartoons every Saturday morning.
- ¿Has visto el nuevo dibujo animado?Have you seen the new cartoon?
Example conversation
María and Daniel are talking about their favorite TV shows.
- MaríaMe encanta ese dibujo animado.I love that cartoon.
- DanielA mí también, Daniel piensa que es muy gracioso.Me too, Daniel thinks it is very funny.
- María¿Cuál es tu dibujo animado favorito?Which is your favorite cartoon?
- DanielNo sé, me gustan todos.I don't know, I like them all.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry dibujo animado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries animado, dibujo, dibujo animado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
