Inklingo

ella

EH-yah/'eʎa/

ella means she in Spanish (Used when a female is the one doing the action.).

she

Also: her, it
A woman smiling and pointing to herself, indicating the concept of 'she'.

📝 In Action

Ella es mi hermana.

A1

She is my sister.

El regalo es para ella.

A1

The gift is for her.

¿Viste la película? Ella fue muy buena.

A2

Did you see the movie? It was very good.

Hablé con ella ayer.

A1

I spoke with her yesterday.

Word Connections

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • para ellafor her
  • con ellawith her
  • según ellaaccording to her
  • a ella le gustashe likes

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "ella" in Spanish:

hershe

✏️ 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
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

Comes from the Latin word 'illa', which was a way to say 'that one' for a female person or thing. Over time, it shortened and changed to become the Spanish 'ella'.

First recorded: Around the 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: elaFrench: elleItalian: ella

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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!