A high-quality storybook illustration showing three distinct scientific symbols: a blue beaker containing liquid, a green DNA double helix structure, and a simplified red electron orbital model, all floating together.

ciencias

see-EHN-seeahs (or thee-EHN-seeahs)

sciences?as a general field of study

Also:scientific studies?referring to specific academic subjects,natural sciences?often used to mean biology, chemistry, etc.

📝 In Action

Mi hermano estudia las ciencias en la universidad.

My brother studies the sciences at the university.

Las ciencias sociales analizan el comportamiento humano.

The social sciences analyze human behavior.

Debemos invertir más en investigación de ciencias básicas.

We must invest more in basic science research.

Word Connections

Synonyms

conocimiento (knowledge)
estudios (studies)

Common Collocations

ciencias naturales – natural sciences
ciencias exactas – exact sciences (like math and physics)
facultad de ciencias – science faculty/department

💡 Grammar Points

Always Plural, Always Feminine

Even though 'ciencias' refers to a big field, it is always treated as a plural, feminine noun. This means any words describing it must also be plural and feminine: 'las ciencias nuevas' (the new sciences).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the Singular for the Field

Mistake: "La ciencia son importantes."

Correction: Las ciencias son importantes.

⭐ Usage Tips

Using the Article 'Las'

In Spanish, we often use the word 'las' (the) before subjects of study, much more often than in English. Say 'Estudio las ciencias' (I study science).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: ciencias

Question 1 of 1

Which phrase correctly uses 'ciencias'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

ciencia(science) - noun

científico(scientific; scientist (masculine)) - adjective/noun

científica(scientific; scientist (feminine)) - adjective/noun

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'ciencia' and 'ciencias'?

'Ciencia' (singular) usually refers to the general concept of science or a single specific scientific field (like biology). 'Ciencias' (plural) is used more broadly to refer to the collection of all scientific disciplines (like 'the natural sciences' or 'the social sciences').