Carnival vocabulary, the most complete guide in Spanish

Shall we continue with him? carnival?

In the previous article we were talking about how is he carnival in spain. 

We explain your origin, the traditions and most famous places to enjoy it.

In today's article we are going to offer you the most complete guide to carnival vocabulary in spanish

The vocabulary that you are going to learn will be the following: 

• Clothing and typical carnival accessories.
• The decoration and events of this party.
• The most common carnival costumes.
• Verbs that can be used in carnival

In addition, we are going to put you infographics by way of carnival flashcards with images that will help you understand the vocabulary better.

Interested? So let's go!

Put on your best costume while we learn the vocabulary of carnival. (I.e.

Carnival clothing and accessories

The clothes and accessories colorful They are fundamental elements of this festivity.

Do you live in Spain or have you come here for holidays?

We show you the carnival clothing vocabulary so you know how each thing is said and you can buy the item you want.

carnival masks

We start on carnival vocabulary with the masks.

Masks were used during carnival in the Middle Ages to cover your face and not be recognized. 

We all know the beautiful venec masksianas, right? 

Thanks to them, the VenetiansianThey could enjoy the carnival to the fullest and get out of control without being judged by their acquaintances.

For this reason, carnival masks They have always been a symbol of this party and an almost indispensable element. 

Although it is true that many people find it annoying to have their faces covered throughout the carnival. 

If you are one of those people, the next add-on that we show you may be more to your liking.

carnival mask

The mask differs from the mask in that the veil only covers the part that surrounds the eyes. 

For example, Robin, Batman's sidekick, wears a mask.

The eye masks carnival They can be a great option for the hottest. 

In addition, there are very beautiful ones, with many decorations and colored feathers that combine very well with the joy that these holidays give off.

carnival makeup

El carnival makeup it should be colorful and cheerful. 

Do you know the vocabulary about makeup in Spanish?

The first thing that is usually put is a foundation white to then apply the colors with the Brushes.

Do not forget to put Shadows on certain parts of the face to give your face a more artistic touch.

To highlight the eyes you can also use a concealer and put false eyelashes. The eyebrows can also be made more even with a eyebrow pencil.

And finally, give your lips a lot of color with a lipstick.

What are the typical carnival colors?

Green, red, purple... really any color works as long as it is vibrant and flashy.

carnival masks

The masks They are also a classic at carnivals. 

What is the difference between face shields and masks? 

Actually, both objects are used to cover the face. 

Although it is true that the masks are usually associated with specific characters or beings, while a mask is simply a face that does not imitate anyone.

You for example carnival mask can be from Spiderman, monster, horror movie villain or any famous person who is in fashion.

carnival wigs

The carnival wigs They are a great option for those who do not want to elaborate their carnival clothing too much.

A wig is a false hair which is placed on the head.

There are very funny wigs that make a person almost unrecognizable.

Even the most serious person can look super cute with the right wig.

false mustache

El fake mustache It can go very well for some costumes: a XNUMXth century cowboy, a Mexican mariachi, a gourmet chef, Freddie Mercury...

In addition, you can also make you look older. We don't know why anyone would want to do that, but hey, at carnival anything goes. ????

carnival hats

Another object that we can put on our heads is a carnival hat.

It can be a little hat with prints, colors, polka dots, decorated with feathers...

There are many types and all colors. Choose the one you like best and combine it with the others clothes to go as a brush. 👌

carnival whistle

El carnival whistle It is not a clothing accessory as such, but rather an object to animate the party.

Also known as a whistle or "kazoo," the whistle is a small wind instrument It produces a sharp sound when we blow it. 

The sound of carnival whistles It always goes well to accompany the music of this party and brighten up the atmosphere. ????

Clown nose

If you are going to dress up as a clown, the clown nose It is a complement that cannot be missing. 

That red ball that is put on the nose is such a symbolic element that you will only need a little makeup and colorful clothes to have your clown costume ready.

false beard

Do you want to dress up as an ancient Greek philosopher or a teacher mylenariver of chinese martial arts?

In that case you will need a long false beard.

If you're a man, you can also grow your beard for months to make your costume look more authentic. 😁

With the beard we finished the vocabulary of carnival and its clothing.

Now we go with the decorations and the events.

Carnival and event decoration

¿How the streets are decorated in Carnival? 

What are the main events?

Do not detach yourself from the screen that we continue to expandiando the carnival vocabulary in Spanish.

carnival floats

The floats are those large mobile vehicles with people on top that go through the main streets at important parties. 

In the towns where the most spectacular festivals are held, such as Tenerife or Gran Canaria, you can find original carnival floats With every little detail.

In other places where parties have less presence, you will find simple carnival floats.

Simple or sophisticated, a colorful carnival float with people in costumes and lots of music, it is undoubtedly one of the typical carnival things they cannot fail.

carnival queen

Have you ever seen the image of women dressed in extravagant clothes that seem to be taken from a Disney story?

Are the calls queens of carnival.

In many parts of the world where the carnival party is popular, this carnival queen as representative.

This woman is the carnival ambassador during the entire period of the festival.

Did you know that there is also Children's Carnival Queen?

In Spain, there are several cities where finery to choose to the Queen of Carnival. The most famous of all is Tenerife, in the Canary Islands.

carnival parades

This celebration would not be the same without the carnival parades. 

In the parades, people walk through the streets accompanied by the floats, dancing, singing and playing musical instruments.

We could say that they are Life of the party and all the people move around them.

carnival troupes 

Within the parades we can find the carnival troupes. 

They are groups of people who go out to parade at a party and they are all dressed the same. Some play musical instruments or dance.

Joining a troupe can be a very lively way to live the carnival. Also, you will make new friends.

Who said that it is difficult to make friends in another country? With the comparsas it is inevitable.

sure there is some carnival troupe near your neighborhood Do some research and you will find. 😉

murga contest

the costumed They are also known as chirigotas. They are bands that parade through the streets encouraging the carnival with musical instruments

His songs review the political news and the events that have taken place during the year, always with great irony and sense of humor.

The most famous in Spain are the Cádiz street bands and murgas of the Canary Islands, especially the bands of tenerife. 

In these cities they are so famous that they even usually do some murga contest to select the winner.

end of costumes

One of the most famous murga contests takes place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. 

The competition closes with the expected end of costumes. 

Do you know that the canaries are fans of this competition?

In this year 2023, 20 minutes after opening the sale of tickets to the venue, they had already sold out. The event took place on February 3. 

Although if next year you want to live a Carnival Night unforgettable, you can book your ticket for the next Murgas Final.

If the canaries like it so much, it must be for a reason, right?

In the same setting where this competition is held, it is also where the other great event takes place, the Carnival Queens Gala.

carnival rondallas

We are not leaving Tenerife yet. Not without first mentioning the gossips of carnival.

The roundabouts are a musical genre typical of the carnival of Tenerife. 

The artists of the rondallas interpret classic songs by prestigious composers. 

The carnival musical instruments most used in rondallas are pulse and barbsuch as the bandurria, the guitar or the lute.

If you want to hear pretty carnival songs in Spain, listen to the rondallas of Tenerife.

As you can see, this festival is lived very strongly in the Canarian capital. It is probably the city where it is celebrated the most.

carnival streamers

Both serpentine is a strip of colored paper rolled up on itself that is inside a tube. 

When this tube is opened, the strip shoots out, unwinding itself.

La streamer in carnival It is widely used for the beautiful visual effect it produces, especially in the most important moments.

confetti for Carnival

El carnival confetti It is another decorative object that cannot be missing. The confetti are small bits of paper with different colors that people throw at parties.

You know, everything that is colorful is welcome at carnival.

The Burial of the Sardine

In our article on the carnival parties in Spain We already talked about this curious tradition.

¿What is the Burial of the Sardine?

This is one of the carnival celebrations most widespread in our country. Almost all the carnivals in the different locations end like this.

It is a "funeral" walk in which a huge sardine toy it is taken to a bonfire and there it is burned. 

Why is this done? It is a way to get rid of all the bad things of the year and start spring on the right foot.

This is always done one day before Ash Wednesday, the Tuesday of Carnival, which is the last day of these festivities.

Carnival costumes

Shall we continue? Now that you know a lot of new words for this party, it's time to see the essence of carnival: the carnival costume vocabulary.

We are going to review the most chosen costumes for these festivities.

Which will you choose?

Clown costume

If it's colorful costumes, a carnival costume perfect is the one of clown.

We have already mentioned some of the necessary objects for this costume, do you remember them? Wig, makeup, clown nose...

What cannot be missing if you go as a clown is a positive attitude and a great desire to be sarcastic.

police costume

are you studyingiando for police oppositions? You can be before time in carnival.

You’ll experience an explosion of colour and interactive activities whilst police costume you will feel like a real agent of the law.

It can also be a group carnival costume very funny. Can you imagine all your friends and you dressed as police officers at a party? 

You will surely command respect from the other guests. 😎

Princess dress 

The princess carnival costumes They are especially popular for girls and boys who love these stories. 

Who has not ever dreamed of being the little princess of a fairy tale? Like in the Disney movies that you like so much.

If you want to give your children the privilege of feeling like this, Carnival is the perfect time!

animal costume

A super fun costume that never fails is that of animals.

It always causes a lot of laughter to see someone dressed as a cow, a lion or a dinosaur, don't you think?

If you want to be the center of attention and make others laugh, a funny animal costume may be the best option.

Medieval costumes

For fans of the Medieval Age, there is also medieval costumes that will make you feel like a true gentleman of the time.

There are some who wear armor and everything. If you work on your medieval attire, it can be one of the carnival costumes more top at the party.

superheroines costumes

With the rise of superhero movies in which female protagonists are increasingly taking center stage, it is not surprising that superheroine costumes be of the carnival costumes in spain favorites.

Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Wonder Woman… are some of the costumes for superheroic characters that you can find in stores.

Superhero costume

El superhero costume masculine is also one of the favorites. 

Who do you like more? Spiderman, Batman, Superman, Doctor Strange... Adjust your leggings, put on your mask, unfold your cape, and dance!

The superhero carnival costumes they always attract attention because people know these characters and many of their movies are blockbusters.

You're sure to be the life of the party!

is also a good carnival costume for kids.

Witch costume

Although this is perhaps more common in Halloweenand ghost costume or vampire, go witch it is also a Carnival costume quite common.

You can go as a cool witch, with cheerful and colorful clothes.

Not all witches have to be scary. 🧙🏻 ‍♀

Verbs that we can use in carnival

We have reached the final part of this article on the carnival spanish vocabulary.

Let's see some typical verbs in Spanish that we can use at carnival parties.

dress up

We have talked about costumes, but what verb do we use to express that we put on clothes? 

The most common is "dress", this is about clothes in general.

• For example: "In winter we always dress in very warm clothes."

When we want to talk about a costume, we need to add the preposition "of" to the infinitive: dress up.

• For example: «Manuel dressed as an elephant at the party yesterday. He was very bizarre ».

Dress up as

The noun "disguise" also has its own verb: dress up as.

As before, we put the preposition "of" after the verb:

• For example: "For this carnival festivities I'm going to dress up as a superhero."

The opportunity to attend

When we go to a party with more people, we can use the verb «attend". 

• For example: «Will you attend the carnival party that Alba organizes? The only requirement is to go in disguise.

This verb is not used only with parties. It can also be used for meetings, conferences, weddings, fairs and all kinds of large events.

• For example: «The other day I attended the Spanish poetry conference. It was very interesting".

Participate in

We can also use the verb "participate in" to confirm our presence at the party.

In addition, it can be used to express that you are part of the organization or an activity of said party.

• For example: «I always participate in the carnivals of my town, not only as a guest, but also helping to place the decorations and choosing the music».

Wear

We use the verb carry to express that we transport something or someone in our hands or in a vehicle.

• For example: «I wear the carnival pancakes in the bag".

It is also used to talk about clothes or some accessory that we have on.

• For example: «Mari Carmen is dressed as a clown. She wears all the details: the clown nose, the wig, the long shoes… ».

This has been the last of the verbs. 

Finally, we are going to do some activities to work on carnival vocabulary that we have seen.

carnival vocabulary activities

We propose two activities to learn carnival vocabulary (Spanish as a foreign language).

Activity 1

In this exercise you have a memory are dealt with first, followed by carnival tokensMatch each picture with its corresponding word.