agua
“agua” means “water” in Spanish (the liquid).
water
Also: rain, body of water
📝 In Action
Necesito un vaso de agua, por favor.
A1I need a glass of water, please.
El agua del mar está muy fría.
A1The sea water is very cold.
Las aguas del río Amazonas son caudalosas.
B1The waters of the Amazon River are mighty.
Cayó mucha agua durante la noche.
B1A lot of rain fell during the night.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: agua
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
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👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word 'aqua', which also meant 'water'. It's a very old word that has changed very little over thousands of years.
First recorded: Before the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I hear 'el agua' but 'las aguas'? I thought 'agua' was a feminine word.
You are right, 'agua' is 100% feminine! The switch to 'el' in the singular ('el agua') is purely for sound. Spanish avoids putting 'la' right before a feminine word that starts with a stressed 'a' sound. It just flows better. This rule only applies to the singular form, so in plural, it goes back to the normal feminine 'las aguas'.
If I see 'el', how do I know if a word is masculine or feminine?
That's a great question! For words like 'agua' or 'águila' (eagle), you have to look at the words that describe them. We say 'el agua fría' (the cold water), not 'frío'. The descriptive word ('fría') tells you the noun's true gender is feminine. Most nouns ending in '-a' are feminine, and this 'el' rule is an exception for a small group of them.