el cóleravsla cólera
/el KOH-leh-rah/
/la KOH-leh-rah/
💡 Quick Rule
"El cólera" is the disease. "La cólera" is the rage.
Remember: El for Enfermedad (disease). La for La rabia (the rage).
- This is a fixed rule with no common exceptions. The meaning is entirely dependent on the article (el/la).
📊 Comparison Table
| Context | el cólera | la cólera | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field of Use | Medicina, historia | Psicología, literatura | "El cólera" belongs to the world of health, while "la cólera" belongs to the world of emotions. |
| What it is | Una enfermedad bacteriana | Una emoción humana | One is a physical ailment, the other is a powerful feeling. |
| Example Context | Hablar de una epidemia | Hablar de una discusión | You'd use 'el cólera' to discuss a public health crisis and 'la cólera' to describe someone's reaction in a fight. |
✅ When to Use "el cólera" / la cólera
el cólera
The infectious bacterial disease, cholera.
/el KOH-leh-rah/
Referring to the illness
El cólera se transmite por agua contaminada.
Cholera is transmitted through contaminated water.
In a medical or historical context
Hubo una terrible epidemia de cólera en el siglo XIX.
There was a terrible cholera epidemic in the 19th century.
Discussing prevention or treatment
La vacuna contra el cólera es muy importante en esa región.
The cholera vaccine is very important in that region.
la cólera
The emotion of intense anger, rage, or fury.
/la KOH-leh-rah/
Describing intense anger
Sintió una cólera inmensa al descubrir la traición.
He felt immense rage upon discovering the betrayal.
As a synonym for 'fury' or 'wrath'
El discurso del político desató la cólera de la multitud.
The politician's speech unleashed the crowd's fury.
In literary or formal contexts
La Ilíada comienza con la cólera de Aquiles.
The Iliad begins with the wrath of Achilles.
🔄 Contrast Examples
With "el cólera":
En esa época, el problema de la ciudad era el cólera.
In that era, the city's problem was cholera (the disease).
With "la cólera":
En esa época, el problema de la ciudad era la cólera.
In that era, the city's problem was the rage (of its citizens).
The Difference: Changing the article from 'el' to 'la' shifts the crisis from a public health emergency to widespread social unrest and anger.
With "el cólera":
Su llegada al campamento trajo el cólera.
His arrival at the camp brought cholera.
With "la cólera":
Su llegada al campamento trajo la cólera.
His arrival at the camp brought rage.
The Difference: 'El cólera' means he literally carried and spread the disease. 'La cólera' means his presence made everyone furious.
🎨 Visual Comparison
Split-screen showing the difference between el cólera (a disease) and la cólera (rage).
'El' cólera is an illness you can get. 'La' cólera is an emotion you can feel.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
La epidemia de la cólera fue devastadora.
La epidemia de el cólera fue devastadora.
When referring to the disease, you must use the masculine article 'el', even if it sounds a bit strange after 'la epidemia de'.
Su traición me llenó de el cólera.
Su traición me llenó de cólera / de la cólera.
The emotion of rage or fury is always feminine ('la'). Using 'el' here would incorrectly imply you were filled with a disease.
📚 Related Grammar
Want to understand the grammar behind this pair? Explore these lessons for a deep dive:
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: El cólera vs La cólera
Question 1 of 2
Un médico en el siglo 19 podría decir: 'Debemos detener la expansión de...'
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there other Spanish words that change meaning with 'el' or 'la'?
Yes, quite a few! This is a known category of words in Spanish. Some common examples are 'el cura' (the priest) vs. 'la cura' (the cure), and 'el Papa' (the Pope) vs. 'la papa' (the potato).
Is the pronunciation the same for both?
Yes, the word 'cólera' is pronounced exactly the same in both cases. The only difference you'll hear is the article 'el' or 'la' before it, which is why paying close attention to that small word is so important.