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June 21, 2021 by Javier Grazioso Spanish Vocabulary, Uncategorized 0 comments

100+ Circus Words and Phrases in Spanish

Did you know that the first (modern) circus started in 1768? Yes! It’s that old! Of course, Romans referred to the circus thousands of years before, but that’s a very different story. 

The circus is a great place to go and have fun whenever it comes to town—it’s also an entertaining theme to use for learning Spanish.

Whether you’re a parent or a teacher, or simply an avid Spanish learner who wants to improve their vocabulary, stick around to learn all about the circus in Spanish!

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Circus Tent and Ticket Booth in Spanish

The very first thing that comes to mind when you think about a circus is the circus tent, isn’t it? 

But inside that tent there are more things! 

EnglishSpanish
(circus) tentla carpa de circo
stairsel graderío
seatslos asientos
stageel escenario
ticket boothla taquilla
ticketel tíquet o tiquete
flagslas banderas

Example Sentences in Spanish

Compremos tres boletos en la taquilla.
Let’s buy three tickets at the booth

El escenario es espacioso.
The stage is spacious.

La lona del circo es muy colorida.
The circus tent is very colorful.

Spanish Traveling Circus Vocabulary

Many circuses travel from town to town to entertain a wide range of people—regularly packing and unpacking all of their belongings. 

They use stuff like cages for the animals, and trucks to carry everything from place to place.

EnglishSpanish
truckslos camiones
cageslas jaulas
boxeslas cajas
ropeslas sogas o pitas
hookslos ganchos
refrigeratorslos refrigeradores o las refrigeradas
bedslas camas
suitslos trajes
make upel maquillaje
ringslos aros o anillos
propslos artículos de utilería

What to Eat at the Circus in Spanish

circus

After you buy your ticket and sit down, what’s your plan? To buy some snacks, of course! You may find the following snacks at a circus near you:

EnglishSpanish
popcornlos poporopos*
peanutsel maní o las manías
cotton candyel algodón de azúcar
ice creamel helado
hot dogel hot dog o perro caliente
sodala gaseosa
iced teael té frío
milkshakeel batido
pizza sliceel pedazo de pizza
corndogel corndog
sandwichel sándwich
snackslos bocadillos
chocolate (pieces)los chocolates
pushbuttons (like M&M’s)las botonetas
candylos dulces
(bottled) waterel agua embotellada

FUN FACT! The word “popcorn” wildly varies in Latin America from country to country. Los poporopos is the way we call it in Guatemala, but there are several other words. In Mexico Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Spain, and Nicaragua, they call them las palomitas de maíz. Pochoclo in Argentina, poporocho in Bolivia, cabritas in Chile, rositas de maíz in Cuba, canguil in Ecuador, pororó in Paraguay and Uruguay, rosetas de maíz in Puerto Rico and cotufas in Venezuela.

Example Sentences in Spanish

Compremos unos bocadillos para la función.
Let’s buy some snacks for the show.

Quiero comer un hot dog y beber una gaseosa.
I want to eat a hot dog and drink a soda.

La pizza en el circo no sabe muy bien.
Pizza at the circus doesn’t taste very well.

¡Me encanta el algodón de azúcar!
I love cotton candy!

Items That Circus Performers Use in Spanish

Just before we learn all about the performers, it’s a good idea to learn which instruments they use to perform on stage, because some of their names are related to their performer. Check them out:

EnglishSpanish
microphoneel micrófono
magic wandla varita mágica
hornla bocina
chainsawla motosierra
trapezeel trapecio
safety netla red de seguridad
whipel látigo
straitjacketla camisa de fuerza
chainla cadena
lockslos candados
canyonel cañón
puppetslos títeres
unicycleel monociclo
fireel fuego
swordla espada o el sable
stiltslos zancos
ballla pelota o la bola
hornla bocina
tight ropela cuerda floja

The Performers at the Circus in Spanish

circus

The performers are the best part of the circus—they make the show! Here are the most popular ones.

EnglishSpanish
performance or showla función o el show
showmanel presentador
magicianel mago
circus clownel (o la) payaso(a) de circo
jugglerel (o la) malabarista
trapeze artistel (o la) trapecista
acrobatel (o la) acróbata
tamerel (o la) domador(a)
contortionistel o la contorsionista
escapistel o la escapista
bullet manel hombre bala
mimeel mimo
puppeteerel titiritero
unicyclistel o la monociclista
fire eaterel o la tragafuego
sword eaterel o la tragasables
ventriloquistel o la ventríluoco
stilt manel o la zanquero(a)
tightropeel funámbulo

Example Sentences in Spanish

¡Vamos al circo a ver payasos!
Let’s go to the circus and see clowns.

El mago no tiene ninguna varita. ¿Qué va a hacer?
The magician has no wand. What is he going to do?

¡Quiero ver al trapecista ya!
I want to see the trapeze artist now!

¡La malabarista hace malabares con motosierras!
The juggler juggles chainsaws!

¡Ese tragasable es increíble!
That sword eater is amazing!

No hay una red de seguridad para el funámbulo. ¡Qué peligroso!
There is no safety net for the tightrope. That is dangerous!

Stunts at the Circus in Spanish

Circus performers wouldn’t have such an exciting name for themselves if they didn’t rely on their stunts. In this next list, see the most popular stunts that occur in circuses worldwide.

EnglishSpanish
jugglinglos malabares
contortionla contorsión
escapologyel acto de escapismo
fire eatingcomer fuego
fire breathingrespirar fuego o escupir fuego
glass eatingcomer vidrio
glass walkingcaminar sobre vidrio
magic trickel truco de magia
magic showel show de magia
jokeslos chistes
sword swallowingtragar espadas
blade boxla caja de cuchillas
snake charmerel encanta serpientes
tamingdomar
tightrope actel acto en la cuerda floja
spectacleel espectáculo
stilt showel espectáculo con zancos
opening actel acto introductorio
grand finaleel gran final

Animals in the Circus in Spanish

Some circuses still use animals to entertain the crowd and go to great lengths to treat them well with kindness and respect. Classic circus animals include:

EnglishSpanish
elephantel elefante
lionel león
tigerel tigre
bearel oso
sealla foca

FUN FACT: Some Latin American countries prohibit using any type of animal at the circus—including Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and Paraguay.

Example Sentences in Spanish

¡Quiero ver al oso montar el triciclo!
I want to see the bear ride the tricycle

¡Qué divertidos los chistes del payaso!
The clown’s jokes are very funny!

¿Podemos ver al mago hacer un truco?
Can we see the magician perform a magic trick?

No me gusta mucho ver los malabares.
I don’t like to see juggling very much.

¡El tragafuego es impresionante!
The fire breather is impressive!

¡Me encantó venir al circo!
I loved coming to the circus!

Spanish Verbs About the Circus

You just read and learned 97 new nouns in Spanish! By incorporating the following list of verbs, you can integrate grammar into your Spanish circus lesson.

  • to attend – ir o estar
  • to do or to make – hacer
  • to throw – tirar
  • to eat – comer
  • to join – unir o unirse
  • to spit – escupir
  • to blow – soplar
  • to walk – caminar
  • to lay – acostarse o recostarse
  • to disappear – desaparecer
  • to laugh – reír o reírse
  • to break – romper
  • to repair – reparar
  • to cut – cortar
  • to divide – dividir
  • to split – partir o separar
  • to open – abrir
  • to close – cerrar
  • to begin – empezar o comenzar
  • to finish – terminar

Example Sentences in Spanish

¡La función está por comenzar!
The show is about to start!

¡El mago va a separar a su asistente en dos!
The magician is going to separate his assistant in two!

El mago desapareció.
The magician disappeared.

¡Ese hombre está escupiendo fuego!
That man is spitting fire!

¡Esa mujer está acostada en una cama de clavos!
That woman is laying down on a bed made of nails.

La función ya terminó, pero estoy muy feliz.
The show is over but I am very happy.

Quiero escaparme y unirme al circo.
I want to run away and join the circus.

PRO TIP: The verb hacer is super useful with a lot of stunts that stuntmen perform. You can say many things like:

  • hacer malabares (juggling)
  • hacer magia (magic)
  • hacer chistes (jokes)

Spanish Adjectives About the Circus

So far we’ve covered 127 new words in Spanish. Along with the nouns and verbs, sprinkle some descriptive adjectives into your lessons to help your child or student learn to express their opinion about the circus in Spanish!

EnglishSpanish
prettylindo(a)
uglyfeo
amazingimpresionante
boringaburrido
entertainingentretenido
dangerouspeligroso
secureseguro
noisyruidoso
silentsilencioso
stressingestresante
relaxingrelajante
fundivertido
funnychistoso
memorablememorable
circus circense

Example Sentences in Spanish

El truco que hizo el malabarista fue muy cool.
The stunt that the juggler pulled was very cool.

El payaso es muy chistoso.
The clown is very funny.

Lo que hace el tragasables es peligroso.
What the swordeater does is dangerous.

El elefante es muy ruidoso.
The elephant is very noisy.

Ese tigre es lindo, pero parece verse enojado.
That tiger is pretty but looks angry.

La función del circo fue impresionante.
The circus show was amazing!

Kids Songs About the Circus in Spanish

These following 4 songs about the circus in Spanish will support your efforts in teaching Spanish to those around you.

Music is a great way to teach language!

1. Había una vez un circo – Rondas y canciones infantiles

2. El Circo – Canti Rondas

This one will surely stick in your head! It mentions the trapeze artist (trapecista), puppets (marionetas), magicians (magos).

3. Los Payasos – Canciones para Niños

This one talks about clowns and how they dress up, mentioning elements such as:

  • Wigs (me pongo la peluca)
  • Make up (me pinto las mejillas)
  • Suit (me meto en el traje)
  • Nose (me pongo la nariz)
  • Shoes (me pongo los zapatos)

4. Canción el Payaso Malabarista – Música en Colores

This song is called el payaso malabarista (the juggling clown), it’s a song that mixes fruit, the circus and music, here is the translation of the lyrics:

El payaso malabarista tira y tira las pelotas como es malabarista las transforma en jugo de frutas. Con el Fa hace naranjas, con el Sol hace frutillas, con el La jugo de mora y con el Mi hace limón. 
The juggling clown throws and throws the balls, and because he is a juggler he transforms them (the balls) into fruit juice. With the F (this refers to the musical key) he makes oranges, with the G he makes strawberries, with the A blackberry juice, and with the C he makes lemon.

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  • Author
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Javier Grazioso
Javier Grazioso
Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
Italo-Guatemalan, born and raised in Guatemala City, where I got a B.A. in Communication and Journalism. Currently, I'm living in Spain where I'm studying for a master's degree. I'm a language and travel enthusiast who speaks Spanish, English, Italian, and a bit of Hungarian. I love watching sports, practicing boxing, writing, and gaming.
Javier Grazioso
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