calles

KAH-yes (or KAH-yays)

nounfA1

streets?public thoroughfares

Also:roads?urban setting

📝 In Action

Las calles de Madrid son muy bonitas.

The streets of Madrid are very beautiful.

¿Dónde están las mejores calles para comprar ropa?

Where are the best streets for buying clothes?

La policía patrullaba las calles desiertas en la noche.

The police patrolled the deserted streets at night.

Word Connections

Synonyms

vías (ways/routes)
avenidas (avenues)

Common Collocations

calles concurridas – busy streets
calles estrechas – narrow streets

Idioms & Expressions

quedarse en la calle – to become homeless or lose everything financially

💡 Grammar Points

Gender Reminder

Even though 'calles' ends in 'es', remember its singular form 'calle' is feminine, so it always uses feminine articles (las calles, unas calles).

⭐ Usage Tips

Calle vs. Avenida

A 'calle' is generally a standard street, while an 'avenida' is usually wider and more important, often with multiple lanes.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: calles

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'calles' as the plural of 'street'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

calle(street (singular)) - noun

callar(to be quiet/to silence) - verb

callejero(street (adj.) / homeless person) - adjective/noun

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if 'calles' means 'streets' or 'you be quiet'?

You can tell by the words surrounding it! If it uses 'las' or 'unas' before it (e.g., 'las calles'), it's the noun 'streets'. If it appears after a phrase like 'espero que...' (I hope that...) or 'no' in a command, it's the verb form 'you be quiet'.