almas
AHL-mahs
/ˈalmas/
📝 In Action
Dicen que el cementerio está lleno de almas en pena.
B1They say the cemetery is full of grieving souls.
Las almas de los niños son puras.
A2The souls of children are pure.
Necesitamos más almas caritativas para ayudar en el refugio.
B2We need more charitable souls (people) to help at the shelter.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'El Alma' Exception
The singular word 'alma' is feminine, but we use the masculine article 'el' before it ('el alma') to make it sound smoother because it starts with a stressed 'a'. However, when it’s plural, we always use the feminine article 'las' ('las almas').
Pluralization Rule
Since 'alma' ends in a vowel (a), you form the plural by simply adding '-s', following the standard pattern for most Spanish nouns.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Incorrect Article
Mistake: “Los almas”
Correction: Las almas. Remember that even though the singular uses 'el', the noun itself is feminine, and in the plural, we use the feminine article 'las'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Referring to People
You can use 'almas' metaphorically to refer to people, especially in religious or charitable contexts, similar to saying 'souls' or 'folks' in English.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: almas
Question 1 of 2
Which phrase correctly uses 'almas'?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it 'el alma' (singular) but 'las almas' (plural)?
This is a special rule for feminine nouns that start with a stressed 'a' sound. In the singular, we use the masculine article 'el' to prevent the awkward sound of two 'a's running together. But in the plural, the sound is fine, so we revert to the correct feminine article 'las'.