aves

birds?The class of feathered, winged animals.

Also:poultry?Used in agricultural or culinary contexts (less common).

AH-vehs

/ˈaβes/

NounfA1

neutral

A high-quality storybook illustration showing three distinct, brightly colored birds flying together in a formation against a clear blue sky, illustrating the concept of 'birds'.

📝 In Action

Las aves migratorias vuelan hacia el sur en invierno.

Migratory birds fly south in the winter.

Me gusta despertarme con el canto de las aves.

I like waking up to the singing of the birds.

En este parque hay muchas especies de aves.

There are many species of birds in this park.

Word Connections

Synonyms

pájaros (birds (smaller birds))
volátiles (flying creatures (formal))

Common Collocations

observación de aves – bird watching
alas de aves – bird wings

💡 Grammar Points

Feminine Plural

Even though the singular form ('ave') often uses the masculine article 'el' (el ave) for pronunciation reasons, 'aves' is always feminine plural and uses 'las' (las aves).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the Wrong Article in Plural

Mistake: “Los aves son hermosas.”

Correction: Las aves son hermosas. Remember, the word is feminine, and in the plural form 'las' is always used.

⭐ Usage Tips

General vs. Specific

'Aves' is the general term for the entire class of flying animals. 'Pájaros' usually refers specifically to small, singing birds.

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: aves

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses the word 'aves'?

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Word Family

ave(bird (singular)) - Noun

aviar(avian (related to birds)) - Adjective

pajarera(aviary/birdcage) - Noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do people sometimes say 'el ave' instead of 'la ave'?

This is a special pronunciation rule! 'Ave' is truly a feminine word, but because it starts with a stressed 'A' sound, Spanish uses the masculine article 'el' in the singular form ('el ave') to make the phrase sound better and avoid running the two 'A' sounds together. In the plural, this rule disappears, so we always use 'las aves'.