A woman smiling and pointing to herself, indicating the concept of 'she'.

ella

/EH-yah/

PronounA1

she?Used when a female is the one doing the action.

Also:her?Used after words like 'for', 'with', or 'to', e.g., 'for her'.,it?Referring to a noun that is considered feminine, e.g., 'la mesa' (the table).

📝 In Action

Ella es mi hermana.

She is my sister.

El regalo es para ella.

The gift is for her.

¿Viste la película? Ella fue muy buena.

Did you see the movie? It was very good.

Hablé con ella ayer.

I spoke with her yesterday.

Related Words

Antonyms

él (he)

Common Collocations

para ella – for her
con ella – with her
según ella – according to her
a ella le gusta – she likes

💡 Grammar Points

Who's Doing the Action?

'Ella' tells you that a female person (or a feminine thing) is the one doing the main action. For example, 'Ella come' means 'She eats'.

Using 'Ella' for Things

In Spanish, even objects have a 'gender'. If a noun is feminine, like 'la mesa' (the table), you use 'ella' to refer to it. It's like saying 'it'.

Optional but Important

Sometimes you can leave 'ella' out if it's clear who you're talking about. The verb ending often tells you. For example, 'Canta bien' can mean 'She sings well'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting Noun Gender

Mistake: "Me gusta el coche. Él es rápido."

Correction: Me gusta la casa. Ella es grande. A masculine thing like 'el coche' uses 'él', but a feminine thing like 'la casa' must use 'ella'.

⭐ Usage Tips

For Emphasis or Contrast

You can add 'ella' to a sentence to add emphasis or to make it clear you're talking about her and not someone else. 'Él quiere café, pero ella prefiere té.'

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: ella

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'ella' to talk about 'la bicicleta' (the bicycle)?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

él(he) - pronoun

ellos(they (masculine or mixed group)) - pronoun

ellas(they (feminine group)) - pronoun

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Spanish speakers sometimes leave out 'ella' or 'él'?

The ending of the verb in Spanish often tells you who is doing the action. For example, 'camina' means 'he/she walks'. So, unless you need to be extra clear or add emphasis, you can often drop 'ella' and people will still understand.

Can 'ella' really mean 'it'?

Yes! In Spanish, all nouns have a gender. If a noun is feminine, like 'la silla' (the chair) or 'la comida' (the food), you use 'ella' when you refer to it. It's a key difference from English that you'll get used to with practice!