Spanish word

fotonovela

Pronunciation

IPA/fotonoˈβela/

Meaning

  • feminine nounphoto-novel

Example

¿Has leído esta fotonovela?

Have you read this photo-novel?

Illustration for fotonovela (photo-novel)

More examples

¿Quieres que te preste mi fotonovela?

Do you want me to lend you my photo-novel?

Core concept

Serial narrative presented in comic-style photo panels with compact dialogue.

Similar words

cómic: Employing hand-drawn frames and illustrations to narrate events panel by panel.
telenovela: Broadcasting continuing episodic dramas on TV centered on relationships and conflict.
novela gráfica: Crafting extended graphic narratives in book form using drawn panels.
historieta: Presenting brief comic episodes using illustrations and dialogue in a compact format.

Definition in Spanish

Género popular de relato que presenta una secuencia fotográfica con textos breves para mostrar tramas, frecuentemente de tono romántico o melodramático.

Word origin

A transparent compound of foto and novela, the term arises in Spanish-language popular media to adapt cinematic and telenovela melodrama into staged photo sequences.

Usage tips

  • The English calque photo-novel often sounds like an art project, while fotonovela in Spanish usually denotes popular mass-entertainment rather than high art.

Word lists with this word