Shapes in Spanish: 24 words and examples

Build a Spanish shapes group

Import all 24 fixed pairs and practise their sound and spelling on iOS or Android. The complete vocabulary guide remains useful without the app.

shapes in Spanish

How do you name and describe shapes in Spanish?

Learn every shape noun with its article: el círculo, el cuadrado, la esfera and la pirámide. The article makes grammatical gender visible from the start.

To say that an object has a shape, use tener forma de + noun: La mesa tiene forma de círculo. To classify a diagram, use ser + article + noun: La figura es un triángulo.

Common adjectives describe the object itself: una mesa redonda, una ventana rectangular, una señal triangular. The adjective agrees with the noun, not with the shape word.

Three patterns that make the vocabulary usable

Article + shape noun: el círculo, el rombo, la estrella, la esfera.

Tener forma de + noun: El espejo tiene forma de óvalo.

Ser + adjective: La mesa es redonda; el marco es rectangular; la señal es triangular.

Use figura for a drawn or geometric figure and forma for the shape or outline of an object. In ordinary descriptions, forma de is a reliable choice.

24 shapes in Spanish

Start with lines and basic flat figures, then add polygons, familiar symbols and 3D solids.

24 Spanish shape words with English meanings, examples and usage notes
Spanish shape	Meaning	Example in context	Usage note
el punto	dot, point	Marca el punto central.	Learn the noun with its article.
la línea	line	Dibuja una línea recta.	Learn the noun with its article.
el círculo	circle	Dibuja un círculo alrededor de la palabra.	A flat two-dimensional figure.
el semicírculo	semicircle	La ventana forma un semicírculo.	A flat two-dimensional figure.
el óvalo	oval	El espejo tiene forma de óvalo.	A flat two-dimensional figure.
el triángulo	triangle	La señal tiene forma de triángulo.	A closed flat figure with straight sides.
el cuadrado	square	El tablero es un cuadrado perfecto.	A closed flat figure with straight sides.
el rectángulo	rectangle	La puerta parece un rectángulo alto.	A closed flat figure with straight sides.
el rombo	rhombus, diamond shape	La cometa tiene forma de rombo.	A closed flat figure with straight sides.
el trapecio	trapezoid	La pieza azul es un trapecio.	A closed flat figure with straight sides.
el pentágono	pentagon	La figura de cinco lados es un pentágono.	A closed flat figure with straight sides.
el hexágono	hexagon	La celda de la colmena parece un hexágono.	A closed flat figure with straight sides.
el octágono	octagon	La señal de alto tiene forma de octágono.	A closed flat figure with straight sides.
la estrella	star	Dibuja una estrella de cinco puntas.	A familiar outline or directional symbol.
la cruz	cross	La cruz está en el centro del mapa.	A familiar outline or directional symbol.
el corazón	heart shape	El icono tiene forma de corazón.	A familiar outline or directional symbol.
la flecha	arrow	Sigue la flecha azul.	A familiar outline or directional symbol.
la espiral	spiral	La concha dibuja una espiral.	A familiar outline or directional symbol.
el cubo	cube	El dado tiene forma de cubo.	A three-dimensional solid.
la esfera	sphere	La pelota se parece a una esfera.	A three-dimensional solid.
el cilindro	cylinder	La lata tiene forma de cilindro.	A three-dimensional solid.
el cono	cone	El cono apunta hacia arriba.	A three-dimensional solid.
la pirámide	pyramid	La pirámide tiene una base cuadrada.	A three-dimensional solid.
el prisma	prism	La caja es un prisma rectangular.	A three-dimensional solid.

Learn Spanish shapes in four groups

Four small visual sets are easier to retrieve than one alphabetical list.

Lines and basic forms

Begin with point, line, circle, semicircle, oval and triangle.

el punto · la línea · el círculo · el semicírculo · el óvalo · el triángulo

Polygons

Count straight sides and compare square, rectangle, rhombus, trapezoid, pentagon and hexagon.

el cuadrado · el rectángulo · el rombo · el trapecio · el pentágono · el hexágono

Familiar outlines

Attach octagon, star, cross, heart, arrow and spiral to visual cues.

el octágono · la estrella · la cruz · el corazón · la flecha · la espiral

Three-dimensional solids

Contrast cube, sphere, cylinder, cone, pyramid and prism with flat figures.

el cubo · la esfera · el cilindro · el cono · la pirámide · el prisma

How should you practise shape words?

Say each noun with el or la.

Point to an object and use Tiene forma de…

Replace the noun with a matching adjective: círculo → redondo; rectángulo → rectangular.

Hola Cards is a Spanish flashcard app from holacards.org for iOS and Android. It is free to download, requires no account and core study works offline; the free version may show ads, while Premium removes them. The interface is available in English, Russian and Portuguese, cards support translations in English, Russian and Portuguese, and the app has 18 practice and game modes. You can import these 24 fixed pairs into a custom group for Spanish audio, writing, pronunciation and review. Hola Cards does not identify shapes through a camera, solve geometry problems or correct free-form descriptions.

Connect shapes with colours, adjective agreement, school vocabulary, house objects and demonstratives.

Colours in Spanish Spanish adjective agreement School supplies in Spanish Spanish house vocabulary Este, ese and aquel

Spanish shape-study objects beside headphones, blank cards and a phone with an abstract audio waveform — Hear the complete noun with its article, then recall it from the silhouette.

A five-minute shape routine

Choose six words from one group.
Say each one with its article.
Find or draw one matching object.
Describe three objects with forma de.
Write two adjective sentences and check agreement.

Vocabulary and grammar references

Shape vocabulary, physical-property scope, noun gender and adjective agreement were checked against Instituto Cervantes and the RAE.

FAQ

How do you say shape in Spanish?

Forma is the broad everyday word for shape or outline. Figura is common for a drawn or geometric figure.

How do you say “it is shaped like a circle”?

Say Tiene forma de círculo. You can also use an adjective: Es redondo or Es redonda, depending on the noun.

What are the basic shapes in Spanish?

Start with el círculo, el triángulo, el cuadrado, el rectángulo and el óvalo.

Are shape words masculine or feminine?

Many are masculine, including el círculo, el cuadrado and el cubo. Common feminine forms include la línea, la estrella, la esfera and la pirámide.

What is the difference between círculo and esfera?

A círculo is a flat 2D figure; an esfera is a three-dimensional solid like a ball.

Can Hola Cards identify shapes with the camera?

No. It helps you import and practise these fixed words with audio, writing and review; it does not analyse camera images or solve geometry problems.

Copy 24 shape words into Hola Cards

Open word groups in Hola Cards, choose paste/import and paste the block. The app recognises the title and “Spanish - translation” lines.

**Shapes in Spanish: 24 words**

el punto - dot, point
la línea - line
el círculo - circle
el semicírculo - semicircle
el óvalo - oval
el triángulo - triangle
el cuadrado - square
el rectángulo - rectangle
el rombo - rhombus, diamond shape
el trapecio - trapezoid
el pentágono - pentagon
el hexágono - hexagon
el octágono - octagon
la estrella - star
la cruz - cross
el corazón - heart shape
la flecha - arrow
la espiral - spiral
el cubo - cube
la esfera - sphere
el cilindro - cylinder
el cono - cone
la pirámide - pyramid
el prisma - prism

Twenty-four Spanish shape words arranged as a custom Hola Cards import group — A focused group keeps every silhouette, Spanish noun and translation together.

Review Spanish shapes in Hola Cards

Practise these 24 fixed pairs with Spanish audio, writing, pronunciation, custom groups and review modes on iOS and Android.

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