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"Pencil" is a noun which is often translated as "el lápiz", and "circle" is a noun which is often translated as "el círculo". Learn more about the difference between "pencil" and "circle" below.
pencil(
pehn
-
suhl
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
b. el lapicero (M) (Spain)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Regionalism used in Spain
I need to sharpen my pencils.Necesito sacarle punta a mis lapiceros.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
2. (to write)
a. apuntar
There were several notes penciled in the margins of the book.Había varias notas apuntadas en los márgenes del libro.
a. dibujar a lápiz
She was sitting in the park, penciling a sketch of a bird.Estaba sentada en el parque, dibujando a lápiz un boceto de un pájaro.
circle(
suhr
-
kuhl
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
1. (geometry)
a. el círculo (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
How many degrees does a circle have?¿Cuántos grados tiene un círculo?
a. el círculo (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The campers sat in a circle around the fire to play the guitar and sing.Los campistas se sentaron en un círculo alrededor de la hoguera para tocar la guitarra y cantar.
b. la circunferencia (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The little kids drew circles and squares with their crayons.Los niños chiquitos dibujaron circunferencias y cuadrados con sus crayones.
b. el círculo (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
I want to widen my circle of friends.Quiero ampliar mi círculo de amigos.
4. (theater)
a. el anfiteatro (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The cheapest tickets for the concert are the ones in the upper circle.Las entradas más baratas para el concierto son las del segundo anfiteatro.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. dar vueltas alrededor de
I had to circle the block for half an hour to find parking.Tuve que dar vueltas alrededor de la manzana durante media hora para encontrar donde estacionar.
b. girar alrededor de
You're wrong! The sun does not circle the moon.¡Estás equivocado! El sol no gira alrededor de la luna.
a. trazar un círculo alrededor de
The student circled the keywords in the text to find the main idea.El estudiante trazó un círculo alrededor de las palabras clave del texto para sacar la idea principal.
b. rodear con un círculo
One of the exam exercises was to circle all the synonyms.Uno de los ejercicios del examen era rodear con un círculo todos los sinónimos.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. dar vueltas
We discovered that the compass was broken and that we were just circling.Descubrimos que la brújula estaba rota y no hacíamos más que dar vueltas.
a. volar en círculos
We can't land due to the fire at the airport, so the pilot is just circling.No podemos aterrizar debido al incendio en el aeropuerto, así que el piloto solo está volando en círculos.
b. hacer círculos
That bee doesn't look too busy; he's been circling in the garden for the last hour.Esa abeja no se ve muy ocupada; lleva una hora haciendo círculos en el jardín.