An illustration of a quaint, small village consisting of three simple, colorful houses with pitched roofs, surrounded by lush greenery and a winding dirt path.

aldea

al-DEH-ah

nounfA2

village?small rural community,hamlet?very small, isolated settlement

📝 In Action

Mi abuela vive en una aldea pequeña en las montañas.

My grandmother lives in a small village in the mountains.

La aldea solo tiene cincuenta casas y una iglesia antigua.

The hamlet only has fifty houses and an old church.

Crecí en una aldea remota donde no había cobertura de teléfono.

I grew up in a remote village where there was no phone service.

Word Connections

Synonyms

pueblo (town, village (often larger than an aldea))
caserío (cluster of houses, small settlement)

Antonyms

ciudad (city)
metrópoli (metropolis)

Common Collocations

aldea global – global village (figurative)
vida de aldea – village life

💡 Grammar Points

Gender Alert

Remember that 'aldea' is always feminine, so you must use 'la aldea' or 'una aldea,' even though it ends in 'a' like many feminine nouns.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing Size

Mistake: "Usar 'aldea' para referirse a una ciudad grande."

Correction: Use 'ciudad' for a large city and 'pueblo' or 'aldea' for small settlements. 'Aldea' is the smallest of these.

⭐ Usage Tips

Visualizing the Size

Think of an 'aldea' as a settlement too small to be considered a town, often lacking basic services like a high school or a large supermarket.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: aldea

Question 1 of 2

Which word describes the smallest type of populated area?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

aldeano(villager (masculine)) - noun

aldeana(villager (feminine)) - noun

aldehuela(tiny village (diminutive)) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre 'aldea' y 'pueblo'?

Both refer to small settlements, but an 'aldea' is usually much smaller and more rural than a 'pueblo.' A 'pueblo' often has more shops, better infrastructure, and a slightly larger population.

Does 'aldea' mean the same as 'hamlet' in English?

Yes, 'aldea' is the closest Spanish equivalent to 'hamlet' or 'village,' emphasizing its small size and often isolated location.