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"comic (comic book)" in seven languages

Meaningcomic (comic book)

Spanish

cómic

/ˈkomik/

masc.other source · English comic

Tebeo, from the magazine TBO, is the traditional word.

French

bande dessinée

/bɑ̃d desine/

fem.other source · bande 'strip' + dessinée 'drawn'

Usually shortened to BD [bede].

Italian

fumetto

/fuˈmetto/

masc.other source · fumo 'smoke' + -etto

Usually plural: leggere i fumetti.

Portuguese

história em quadrinhos

/isˈtɔɾjɐ ẽj kwaˈdɾiɲus/

fem.other source · 'story in little squares': quadrinho, from quadro (Latin QUADRUM 'square')

Colloquially gibi; in Portugal, banda desenhada.

Romanian

bandă desenată

/ˈbandə deseˈnatə/

fem.other source · a calque of French bande dessinée

Usually in the plural: benzi desenate.

Catalan

còmic

/ˈkɔmik/

masc.other source · English comic

English

comic

/ˈkɑmɪk/

other source · Latin cōmicus, from Greek kōmikós

English → Italiancomic (comic book)fumettoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: comedy, comical; fume (it).What English and Italian share

The story

French calls comics 'drawn strips'; Italian names them after the speech balloons, little 'puffs of smoke' (fumetti). Spanish took the English word.

English relatives: comedy, comical; fume (it)

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In a sentence

  • esMi hijo lee cómics todas las noches.
  • frMon fils lit des BD tous les soirs.
  • itMio figlio legge fumetti tutte le sere.
  • ptMeu filho lê histórias em quadrinhos toda noite.
  • roFiul meu citește benzi desenate în fiecare seară.
  • caEl meu fill llegeix còmics cada vespre.
  • enMy son reads comics every evening.

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