Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Trim in Spanish: Recortar
Recortar · verb · rreh-kohr-TAHR
Recortar is the most versatile Spanish verb for trim, covering hair trimming, cutting paper to size, and trimming budgets or expenses. Podar is the specialized verb for trimming plants, hedges, and tree branches. The distinction matters because using recortar for garden trimming sounds odd, and podar for a haircut would puzzle any listener.
Recortar is pronounced rreh-kohr-TAHR, with a rolled r at the beginning and stress on the final syllable. Podar is simpler: poh-DAHR.
Solo quiero recortar las puntas, no un corte completo.
I only want to trim the ends, not a full cut.
Trim in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for trim, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| recortar | trim | rreh-kohr-TAHR | Default, widely understood |
| podar | trim | used for trimming plants, hedges, and trees | |
| cortar | trim | general-purpose cut, sometimes used loosely for trim |
How Native Speakers Use Recortar
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Haircut
¿Me puedes recortar el flequillo? Está demasiado largo.
Can you trim my bangs? They're too long.
Recortar is standard at barbershops and salons when asking for a light trim rather than a full restyle.
Gardening
Es necesario podar los arbustos del jardín a finales de febrero.
It's necessary to trim the garden bushes at the end of February.
Podar is the exclusive verb for pruning and trimming plants, shrubs, and trees.
Budget reduction
La empresa decidió recortar gastos eliminando viajes innecesarios.
The company decided to trim expenses by eliminating unnecessary travel.
Recortar gastos (to trim expenses) is a standard business expression in Spanish.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Recortar
Using podar for a haircut
Incorrect: Fui al salón para podarme el cabello.
Correct: Fui al salón para recortarme el cabello.
Podar is exclusively for plants and trees. Applying it to hair sounds humorous at best, as if comparing someone's head to a hedge.
Using recortar for heavy pruning
Incorrect: Necesito recortar las ramas del árbol grande.
Correct: Necesito podar las ramas del árbol grande.
Recortar implies a light, precise trim. Heavy tree pruning requires podar, which conveys the act of cutting back significant growth from plants.
Lock in Trim Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Recortar used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using recortar in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Solo quiero recortar las puntas, no un corte completo. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
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Common Questions About Trim in Spanish
- How do you say trim in Spanish?
- Trim in Spanish is recortar for hair, paper, and budgets, and podar for plants, hedges, and trees. Cortar (to cut) is a more general verb that can loosely substitute for trim but lacks the precision of a light, careful cut.
- What is the difference between recortar and cortar?
- Recortar implies cutting to shape, reduce slightly, or neaten something already existing. Cortar is the general verb for cutting and does not inherently suggest the careful, partial trimming that recortar conveys.
- How do you ask for a trim at a Spanish-speaking barbershop?
- At a barbershop, say solo un recorte, por favor (just a trim, please) or quiero recortarme el pelo (I want to trim my hair). Adding no mucho or solo las puntas (just the ends) helps specify how much you want removed.